Starbabe;*)

since the last post

2011-12-21T04:17:00.002+08:00

here are some developments regarding aren since my last post:

1. he knows how to poop in the potty already! hasn't pooped in his diaper for over a month.
2. we wear diapers only during afternoon nap or sleeping at night or going out. (yey for our budget!)
3. it was my first time to literally step on po-p in the bedroom hahahah! i was crazy tired that afternoon, i fell asleep while he was playing, only to wake up a few minutes later with him already napping beside me. i stood up, my foot squished something soft and cold (we don't eat in the bedroom, so it's not food). i was so surprised, and later amused.
4. he can already pee in the toilet! since our last potty training, he can already pee standing up, and this time he does it in the big bowl itself! which brings me to the next item....
5. he's grown an inch in a month! we record his height every month on his birthdate, and for the past year, he has been registering only a few centimeters every month. i was so surprised to see the last improvement!
6. could it be his milk? for almost two months already, i've been slowly changing his milk from enfagrow a+ to nido 3+. for the first week, i replaced one scoop of formula with one scoop of nido. the next week, i replaced two scoops, then three, until finally, we're down to the last pouch of formula that i plan to still mix (half scoop) with his nido. i had no problems introducing the new milk because he never noticed the difference!
7. for the first time, i was poked in the forehead with a ballpen. yes, it bled.
8. he can spell his name (the four letters at least).

still a long way to go with other milestones. talking for instance... we barely are a month away from his 3rd birthday and he's still not speaking clearly. i still think he's going to do so in time... but part of me is already worrying...

my other projects are (still) getting him to eat regular meals during mealtimes, getting him to take vitamins and meds from a spoon. next up, i hope we can be totally diaper-free forever and not have accidents, i hope we can totally discard the bottles and drink milk from a cup/glass, i hope we can appreciate coloring/music more.

and yes, the talking. ok ok judge me and my parenting... *sigh*

success is spelled with a p

2011-11-05T05:27:00.004+08:00

for my long sem break, i had planned on lots of training activities for aren. but two days before i return to work, i have been successful with one only --- potty training :)

however, not entirely too, because he refuses to sit for poop time. (i feel i have to defend myself with this because aren is slightly constipated because of his diet, so he doesn't poop on a regular basis, which makes it a little harder to "practice" on the potty. ok more on my diet woes later... in fact that was one of my other plans in the list) so my success with the potty is for pee! i consider this quite an achievement for my part because i do not have the same "elements" as aren that he can model. it was all basically routinary, and it was easier because he had all the readiness signs:

-irritated at the feeling of a wet diaper

-can stay dry for at least an hour at a time

-although he cannot speak clearly yet, he can signify his intention of going to the bathroom

-can pull his own shorts/pajama down

after all, he was already 2 years and 9 months old. actually, i have tried starting this before, but a weekend did not seem enough, and online literature said it was a bad idea to "start and stop" when it came to potty training. but slowly, my mom and i took off his diaper in the morning and asked him once in a while if he needed to pee. a few months ago, we always had accidents, but we simply considered it as part of the process.

day 1 of my sem break, i was determined to take this seriously. he took my hand to the bathroom and peed on the floor. that day he pooped squatting on the bathroom floor because he vehemently did not want to sit on the potty (at least it's a start, he didn't need the diaper anymore!). as the days progressed, he began to pee into the potty, he pulled down his shorts by himself, did not have to need the diaper while napping or at night (actually i'm still scared about this. i've tried it only once, and i still put a diaper on him when he's still sleeping), tried to pee into the big toilet bowl. until one time, i was in the kitchen and he was left alone for a while in the room when i heard the bathroom door pushed open. i rushed up and i saw him with his shorts on the floor, aiming for the potty! i was soooo amazed! he did not have to take my hand to take him to the bathroom! what a big boy!

i admit we're still not 100% diaperless yet. like i said, we still have to master pooping in the potty. we're still wearing diapers while napping and sleeping at night and when going out for errands or a trip. but for me, it has been a big improvement! that's 2-3 less diapers during the day, which is very timely because i just discovered that our brand has raised its price last week! and also, less nonbiodegradable trash for landfills.

well, the other plans in my list can wait, probably during the next long weekend. but it doesn't mean i will stop trying. the key i think is to set a routine for toddlers. after a few days they will realize that you will never stop or give up on what you want them to master, so maybe, just maybe they will pick up the hint. (i'm really crossing my fingers! because the others in my list are really important ones! sort of life and death sometimes :)

ms universe

2011-10-20T13:25:00.005+08:00

It's like I won Miss Universe....

I don't know but that's how I feel :)

Maybe it's because I've never won too many raffles or contests in my life, or because I didn't have to do so much to comply with the requirements asked for.

I feel like it's a really big blessing... like a reward for all the effort I've so far put into thesis writing.

After all, a grant is no joke, I mean, all the money I spend for reproduction of materials, printing of drafts, transportation and communication expenses, representation allowance (i.e., tokens to respondents or special people who have helped me).

Well, an announcement that is posted on the bulletin board outside the Office of the College Secretary is different from a real check that I'm holding in my hands. Hmmm, let's wait and see....

embarrassing

2011-06-18T22:46:00.002+08:00

a situation is considered embarrassing because of the very reason that it happened in a public place with a handful or lots of other people to witness it.

here are a few of my most recent ones:

1. while waiting in the jeepney stop one morning, i spotted a couple (probably in their 20s) a few steps away from the crowd. a few minutes later, a woman probably in her 40s dashed over to the couple and started pulling the girl's hair (which was long by the way) angrily while screaming expletives! the poor guy tried in vain to pull the older woman's hands off the younger woman's hair. the crowd simply looked on because it was obviously a domestic altercation. after a few more minutes, an elderly man approached the trio and gently told them to break it up. the couple walked away but i can just imagine their humiliation.

2. in the mrt a few weeks ago, a skip train came and everyone scrambled to get in as the train doors opened. i accidentally stepped on the sandal of the woman in front of me. i was so embarrassed because (i) she stopped in her tracks, blocking the way of others who were trying to get in, (ii) i still took the empty spot that was "supposedly" for her because she was ahead of me, (iii) she ended up standing and she whipped out flipflops from her bag because her sandal straps ripped. i apologized to her but i still felt bad. i got my due the following week when i wore a pair of sandals i hadn't worn for a long time, and the straps promptly pulled out from the soles just as i was boarding the mrt on my way to work that morning!

3. our school had its institutional outing at splash island last week. the daredevils that we are, my friends and i tried every slide in the facility. in king pilipit, people had to slide one at a time. i mustered my guts and went first. it was hell scary! it had to be done lying flat because for the first few feet the slide was covered, so when i pushed myself down, there was no turning back! and i was sliding really fast. after what seemed like an eternity, i reached the "open" part of the slide, and i was already anticipating my splash. but i had to go through a few more turns before i finally saw the pool at the end. i pinched my nose with two fingers as i went into the water... before i realized it, i was drowning! i was flapping my arms under the water, and i felt like i was struggling for several minutes to reach the surface. i was able to grab hold of something, which turned out to be the buoy of the lifeguard. i was so embarrassed because the pool was nowhere above five feet deep, and that in my struggle in the water, i didn't notice that my top (which was loose to begin with) had...uhurm... displaced, and as i gasped for air, no one knows how many of the handful of people sitting at the side of the pool saw my wardrobe malfunction, and how many of them passed the story on to their friends. (my friends did not notice it though)

i still think king pilipit is the best slide among those i tried in splash island. :)

letters and numbers

2011-06-14T13:21:00.002+08:00

(pardon the voice.... just a little excited... ok, super excited!)

the face

2011-05-24T15:56:00.003+08:00

(taken three separate days)

yup, at 2 years and 3 months, this is how he smiles in front of the camera.

he has been doing the face for a few weeks when i found out last week how he discovered it...

he was playing, i whipped out my cellphone (thus the crappy resolution) and said "aren, smile!" he looked at me and smiled that way, when i realized he was only imitating me!!! i was smiling exactly the same way!!

tsk tsk... i have to start being careful what i do in the kid's presence.

aren's first visit to mommy's office

2011-04-25T06:54:00.004+08:00

yes it was almost two years after he was born that aren got to visit mommy's office for the first time.

flashback: december 2010. institutional christmas party at the sports pavilion. (thanks for the photos, tita amy!)

the visit was meant to be a very memorable one, too. when we were about to exit the village, rands was given the wrong driver's license. he called the attention of the person in charge at the gate, and we were asked to wait on the side while they sorted out the problem. out of the many people who were going in and out of the village that day, it had to happen that rands' license was given to the wrong person, who was a taxi driver who could have been anywhere in the country at that moment! it was already getting dark, and the two kids in the car were getting restless. they were trying to figure out the best thing to do to address the situation. we the adults were on the verge of losing our patience.

as a temporary measure, they wrote a certification in their office (which took 30 minutes i think) that it was "their fault" that rands was driving without his license. they asked for my name and promised that they will give back my husband's license the following morning. we also got their names, and they knew that they have "no escape" because they and the security in our school were from the same agency.

true enough the following morning, barely 8 am, the same guy who was head of the shift during our ordeal, came to our office and handed me rands' license. he shared that they sent a couple of people to the taxi driver's house (thankfully the address in the license was recent!) and waited there until late at night for the driver to come home and exchange licenses.

lesson: please always ALWAYS check the license you are handed back. or any ID for that matter. i'm sure it was such a hassle for them to do what they did, but i was thankful, and they were apologetic anyway. i told them i perfectly understood that mistakes such as putting the licenses in the wrong pass slots can happen on days when there are a lot of cars getting in and out of the village, especially during christmas season.

two years old!

2011-01-31T09:55:00.004+08:00

celebrated aren's second birthday with a simple gathering with our families.

chocolate cake from "tita c's homemade cakes"

we had no decors, music, balloons (well, ok just a few pieces), but the little ones were happy to be playing with one another.

tito jojo teaching aren the "anyong" pose his twins have perfected

two months before january 15, we experienced a lot of hospital scares, disorders, illnesses, infections, viruses, bacteria (and he even actually had diarrhea during the party! haha). but now i'm just looking at all of those experiences as a rite of passage... he seems ok now (so far, hopefully no more sicky!)

you're two now, baby! not quite a baby anymore, but not really a toddler yet (that didn't sound right ahahha, but that's how mommy feels).

eating chocolate icing out of his candle (thanks tita gigi!)

turnstile tip

2011-01-21T13:52:00.005+08:00

Two days ago on my way to work, the MRT was stuck at Guadalupe Station because of a defective train in front of us. For lack of anything better to do, I found myself observing the people who were coming into the station from the northbound side, more particularly the passengers passing through the turnstiles.

For the five or so minutes we were stranded, there may have been hundreds of people who entered the station, and yet I was able to count only probably 20 or less who DID NOT hold the turnstile with their hand to get through.

Personally, I never touch turnstiles with my hand, even in groceries or other public places. I got this tip from my sister many years ago, even before the H1N1 scare, that these things may contain germs as they are being touched by thousands of people everyday.

That's why when I pass through turnstiles, I just bump it with my hip or tummy... it turns just the same way! Look ma, no hands! That's one less exposure to hand-transmitted germs! :)

happy new year!

2011-01-04T10:25:00.005+08:00

happy 2011 everybody! happy!!

btw, he's not really two yet... we're just practicing before the big day arrives.

Yet another hospital episode

2010-12-10T11:43:00.000+08:00

Should I say, hospitals. The past two weeks was sick sick sick for many of us in the family. And I thought Aren’s febrile convulsion was the last I had to see of the ER.

The viruses were very active, that we were actually misdiagnosed the first time.

Sunday Nov28, Renzo developed sores on his hands and around his mouth. The UDMC ER diagnosed him with herpes simplex, a disease he has had when he was still a baby.

Tuesday Nov30, I developed red splotches on my back and thighs. I was given anti-itch meds and lotion.

That night, Aren and Ria developed on-off high fever. They probably caught the virus while we were waiting in UDMC. They were monitored and given paracetamol in their respective houses.

Wednesday Dec1, my rashes had spread to my neck and arms so I went to the Capitol Medical ER for some tests. I was given a medical certificate for measles and was asked to isolate myself from others, 2-3 days of bedrest.

That day, Renzo developed very bad diarrhea that he could not leave the house for further tests. Ria was taken to the pedia to be checked. She was diagnosed with the same disorder as her brother.

That night, Aren had developed rashes at his back.

Thursday Dec2, I was still on bedrest. My body was weak and I had no appetite. Renzo was taken to the National Children’s Hospital Infectious Diseases Center, where he was diagnosed to have HFMD, or hand-foot-mouth disease. This explained why he had no rashes in other parts of his body.

That same afternoon, Rands took Aren to the Valucare clinic in Capitol Medical, where, after blood test, a pedia diagnosed him with roseola infantum, and was given antibiotics.

My other nephew had been staying in our house that week, so we had to send him home that night for him to avoid the virus.

Friday Dec3, Ria had started to show the same symptoms of HFMD. She had contracted it from her brother probably for sharing a drink.

Saturday Dec4, I had my follow up at the Valucare clinic in Capitol, where a derma told me that I did not have measles all along! That I missed holding my son for three days for nothing! Although my condition was still a mystery, because my skin was very red, but the blood test did not reflect any significant disorder, except for a virus. She gave me antibiotics, steroids, and anti-itch, and scheduled me for a followup after one week.

The week that followed consisted of mainly round the clock medicines. Aren’s rashes are slowly fading. My skin is still peeling in most parts, even in my scalp!! I’ve been shedding all around the house and office, and it’s very itchy!! Ria’s and Renzo’s dried skin was tougher --- my sister said she had to use nail clipper to trim it off!! I cannot imagine!

I cannot stress this enough…… please please take care of your health. Viruses have become more mutant, and they can strike anywhere anytime, especially when your body is at is most vulnerable. Eat healthy and rest well, take supplements if necessary. Our loved ones would need us, so we have to stay healthy (and sane!) for them.

1st (and hopefully the last!) convulsion scare

2010-11-24T08:07:00.004+08:00

It was a lesson learned the hard way. I had to admit that I was largely at fault for what turned out to be the scariest weekend I’ve ever had in my life so far.

Thursday, November 18

I came home that night and found Aren and tatay watching tv as usual. Around 7pm, we felt that he was a little feverish, but he did not seem pale or weak. We decided not to give him his nightly shower, not even sponge bath. At 9pm after his pre-sleep milk, we took his temperature and recorded 39.1. Rands asked me, “Di pa ba natin bibigyan ng gamot?” I said, “Observe muna natin,” and recorded his temperature in a notebook. Aren fell asleep then.

At around 10pm when we were about to sleep, we took his temp again and this time recorded a 38.6. I don’t know what the hell came over me that I did not even bother to give him paracetamol! I still just recorded that in the notebook and went to sleep, probably half-thinking that it would still go down that night.

Friday, November 19

I woke up suddenly and Rands was hovering over Aren. Then I saw a horrifying scene: my almost two-year-old baby still lying on the bed, had his shaking arms stretched up in the air, fists clenched, whole body shaking, eyes rolling up, making soft grunting sounds. Rands was calling to him, in an effort to make the shaking stop. My instinct made me pick him up and hold him close to me, then I felt his body was very very hot. I glanced at the clock: it was 1:30am.

Rands woke my parents up and ran to get a basin of water and a spoon to put in Aren’s mouth. The shaking stopped after a few minutes (it could’ve been seconds, I don’t remember), and we decided to rush him to the hospital. I was holding him while Rands ran to get a taxi and my mom put his bag together and my dad was wiping his arms with cold towel. I was hugging him and talking to him, practically begging him to respond, but his eyes were a blank stare.

When the taxi came, my mom took Aren and wrapped him in a blanket while Rands and I got dressed and put together a bag. We decided to take him to UDMC, where my pregnancy and childbirth records were. At the taxi, we were trying to stimulate his reaction by talking to him the whole time, but he was still staring. Then he vomited in the blanket.

In the emergency room, when I put him down on the bed, he started to cry and shouted “Mommy!” It was my first smile since the incident! It only meant that he was well enough to react to stimulus already! They inserted a suppository for his fever and it immediately went down. I removed the puke-stained shirt and blanket, and they gave me a hospital gown. It was my first time to see a hospital gown so small, and it was on my baby!

Aren in the ER in a small hospital gown and oxygen mask

While Rands filled out forms, the residents were asking us routine questions about the incident. Somebody asked, “Anong oras yung huling paracetamol nya?” I was horrified! I hadn’t given him paracetamol at all! I realized at that point that I could’ve prevented the whole thing if I had listened to Rands about giving it! I felt so guilty!

We were told that usually when it was the first episode of convulsion, they advised admitting the patient for monitoring. We did not think twice, Rands secured us a room using Aren’s healthcard. Then they said they had to attach an IV to his little hand! I did not dare look while they did, I was just whispering calmly to Aren the whole time. The resident asked for a spare diaper to put over his hand so he would not play with the needle. We called it his Manny Pacquiao glove.

Aren's Manny Pacquiao glove (a diaper over his IV)

Aren was so cranky that I put him to sleep while waiting for our turn in the x-ray. They also asked us to put the oxygen mask on him. After only a few minutes of sleep, we had to be wheeled to the x-ray. Rands and I were asked to wear blue heavy suits for protection, while we restrained Aren on the flat surface (I wouldn’t call it a bed at all!). We were just telling him that it will be one big camera and he had to smile. As expected, we could not hold him still, so the procedure had to be repeated. To think that a front and lateral x-ray had to be taken! Aren was so stressed! Luckily, he was calmer during the second take, so the technician was able to get a better shot.

After that, we were wheeled to the 6th floor. Our room was a small private, and we were told that we were in priority waitlist for the big private. For the hours that followed, Aren would be able to fall asleep, but then had to be woken up for temp-taking or an oral dose of paracetamol, which had to be given round the clock. He was also given a regular dose of diazepam, an anti-seizure drug, through his IV.

We were told that Aren was not supposed to be given any food or drink because he would be due for a blood test at 8am. But he woke up again at around 5am, his usual milk time. He was crying uncontrollably, so we tried to distract him. I went to the nurse station to ask if it was possible for us to give him just a small amount, and the resident conceded, but to 4oz only, which was enough to put him back to sleep.

A nurse checked his IV and discovered that his arm was swelling due to the vein. Imagine my horror when they said they had to transfer the IV to his other hand! I was about to protest but they said the swelling might cause a fever, so they removed the needle from his left hand and he was temporarily IV-free. Lola Nits came with his Simba, books, and more supplies. Simba would help alleviate his anxiety during procedures, and reading books will pass the time as we did not have TV in the room.

Aren reading one of his favorite books

At around 8:30am, laboratory came to our room to draw blood. Again, it was just a little prick on the left ring finger, but I did not dare look. A little later, they asked me to take him to the nurse station treatment room so they can attach the IV to his right hand. When I put him on the bed, they asked me to leave the room!! Again I was about to protest, but good thing, there was a small gap in the glass, so I was able to see what they were doing inside. Apart from the prick, Aren was behaved, and the resident told me so. I was smiling as I watched.

Where the first IV used to be, and the prick on his fingertip for blood test

That day, it was mostly routine temperature checks and administration of medicines. Some of our relatives came, and we were able to take a short nap. Aren was irritable most of the day. It was so hard to restrain him especially with the IV; it would backflow often. In the afternoon, he asked for pancit and we fed him for as long as he was eating! We didn’t know when he would have such an appetite again!

Very hungry but very groggy (very cute)

He was given his last dose of diazepam and paracetamol before we went to sleep that night. The temp checks were the funniest --- Aren did not register higher than 37 degrees at all! Rands slept beside him on the bed and I on the bench which I pulled near the bed.

Saturday, November 20

The routine checks went on throughout the night, and at one point, a nurse informed me that she had to put Aren under a drop light, much like incubating chicks, because his body was undergoing hypothermia. She even turned the aircon down to fan.

Aren under a drop light to heat up his body

I asked for several changes of hospital gown because Aren would be drenched in sweat often. The shirts we had were no good because the IV bottle did not fit the armhole. In the morning, Aren and tatay woke up late and had a few bites to eat. The residents told us that the x-ray was negative for respiratory problems, the blood test was negative for infection, and his urine was cleared too. After reading his books, Aren was napping again. This gave us time to fix the billing.

When the pedia came in, I asked if we could be discharged already. We were running out of supplies. Besides, his fever did not rise and all his tests were negative. She prescribed us with paracetamol for temp of 37.5, and ibuprofen for temp of 38.5. Needless to say, we had to take his temperature round the clock.

We came home to Ate Ria and Lola’s spaghetti waiting for us. As soon as he saw the TV and his toys, he went wild with excitement! But we had to hold him because he was still a bit groggy from the meds. It was as if he was not well-coordinated yet. Tatay researched for sites on febrile convulsion, and we learned a lot of many things about it.

Sunday, November 21

Aren’s temp registered between 35 -36 plus throughout the night and the following day. We did not leave the house to even go to church because we wanted him to rest. We did not even allow him out of the house. We noticed that his balance has not returned to normal pre-seizure. We started to worry because he was irritable as he was in the hospital. When he threw tantrums, it was as if the meds made him mutant! We could hardly contain him!

As of this writing, Aren’s balance has returned. We excitedly greeted him, “Welcome back!” We sent him out of the house to play. We had given him a bath. I myself was able to take my much needed bath (my last was Thursday morning! That was why the shampoo did not lather at all! Hahahahha)

Once again, the lessons…. The very important learnings from the experience:
- NUMBER 1: a temperature of 37 plus is already high for toddlers! Give paracetamol at the onset of fever! By all means, do everything to keep the fever down, including spongebath with cold water, not with alcohol that may raise the fever.
- Do not attempt to stop the seizure while it is occurring (yes, we did this!) because it will subside naturally, just make sure that your baby does not injure himself: clear his surroundings of heavy or sharp objects, support his head from a hard surface, do not put a spoon in his mouth (yes we did this too!) because he might bite it hard and break his teeth.
- If your baby vomits or mucus or saliva accumulates in his mouth, turn him to his side so he doesn’t choke on it. This is also to let his tongue drop and not block his airway.
- Rush him to the nearest hospital. Always have an emergency bag prepared, with baby’s clothes, diapers, burp clothes, etc. Always put water in your feeding bottles and milk in your dispensers (if you’re not exclusively breastfeeding).
- Always keep important documents in your wallet and bag (such as healthcard and emergency phone numbers). Always keep your phone charged (yes both of our phones were drained, as in drained…). Always keep a small amount of extra cash at home.

- There is a history of convulsions in Rands' side of the family, and boys are more prone to them than girls. We can have another episode of fever-induced seizure until he is around 6 years old.

- We will have him checked for any symptom of seizures that is not fever-induced, which are more fatal.

It’s starting

2010-11-03T16:00:00.005+08:00

The moment he was able to say “mommy” as a single word (read: no pause between syllables), it started --- the “talking.” It is not quite like blabbering anymore, but not yet as clear as we speak it. However, we who are with him most of the time know exactly what he means. It’s amazing how he communicates with us; if a few months ago he would take our hand to lead us to where he wants to go or what he wants to do, now he can just “say” it to us and we would understand him.

I am simply amazed at this milestone. For the past weeks, he cannot stop “talking!” (I still keep the quotation marks because it is still not the talking as we know it, so let us not get confused here…) It is such a joy to communicate with him because I know in my heart that he understands me, and he replies or answers back. And it is not a “made-up” answer… it is a real reply, as in logical and reality-based!

To first time parents who have yet to experience this, let me share what I have learned so far:
-Do not underestimate your child’s ability to understand you. Even as early as weeks old, talk to him like you would to a normal adult. Narrate the day’s events to him. Even if he does not so much grunt or coo, just go on talking.
-When he gets a little older and starts to blabber, engage him in conversation, meaning ask him something and give him time to respond. Maintain eye contact, and sometimes, you can even exaggerate your movements and tone of voice. In time, he will get to learn to finish your sentences, as long as you give him response time. Never mind if they are just unintelligible sounds! This simply means your child is expressing his desire to communicate with you.
-When he learns to point, he will become more expressive. If you have picture books, point to him each picture and say the name. Sometimes, he will point and look at you to say the name of the picture. In time, he will point AND say the name, even if it is just the last syllable or just sounds like the real word.
-Make it a point to introduce new people by name. Bonus point for people who visit your child regularly or whom your child regularly sees or has contact with. In time, he will be calling them by the last syllable of their name, or something that sounds like. Tip: in the presence of your child, call the person how you want your child to call the person, e.g., Tatay, Lolo, Tita Gigi, etc.

Right now, Aren is in the last-syllable or sounds-like stage. Offhand, some of his one syllable words lately are dilk (milk hahah this is the cutest!), tay (tatay rands), bye, dit (pancit).

Some of his two syllable words aside from mommy are Iya (Ate Ria), Didi (Tita Gigi), rara (dog, my current project is to correct this!), bi-truh (big truck or other form of transpo), ba-uhm (bathroom), ee-ee (wee-wee).

Yes, he has three syllables, but these are just contracted forms: ba-ba-bus (bbye bus), boo-rara (peekaboo dog), mommy-tay (mommy and tatay), ya-ya-dig (yah yah tigidig-tigidig when playing horse with mommy or tatay).

I am amazed by the fact that I actually understand him even if his words may not mean anything to other people. If he “speaks” a new word, I ask him to point to it, or if it cannot be pointed to, I ask him to repeat it and I wrack my brains for what it may mean. Then most of the time, I get it. Then I smile… it means we have a connection… I understand him.

A year after

2010-10-11T09:52:00.002+08:00

Ondoy was a traumatic experience for many Filipino families. Mine was no exception. I was not able to write about it right after it happened because of the shock and disbelief; I was not even able to take photos for remembrance or for evidence, because everything happened so fast.

For us, it was just another typhoon, because we have grown quite used to the idea that nonstop rains meant that floodwaters would again be entering our house. As far as I can recall the events of that fateful Saturday morning of September 27, 2009:

· We had started to move our things up to the second floor when the rains fell; at 10am the floodwaters started coming into the house; the power was cut off when the waters reached the sockets.
· I wore then 8-month-old Aren in a carrier while I arranged things in the bedrooms to accommodate bigger items, and as my mom and our helper brought them up. We left the living and dining sets, heavy tables, the ref, and other stuff that were ok to sink in floodwaters.
· The waters steadily rose as the rains fell throughout the afternoon; we helplessly looked out the window at how high the floods in the streets were; good thing my phone was fully charged enough to be able to reply to calls and texts from tatay and concerned friends.
· Good thing we had a few supplies of biscuits and bread. We ate from paper plates on the second floor. Good thing, too, we have just sterilized Aren’s bottles the night before. I peed in his used diapers.
· When I scanned the first floor with a flashlight once, among the things I saw above the water were the LPG tank floating among other plastics, the top half of the main switch, part of the cupboards where I kept two big cans of Aren’s milk, top half of our framed decors.
· Good thing Aren was not walking then yet, or he would have insisted on going down! However, it was also hard to play with him on the bed the whole day to keep his attention, and stay awake just to fan him the whole night.
· By nightfall, the rains had slowed down but had not stopped completely. Our terrified neighbor was calling through the window for us not to leave her and her year-old grandson and helper behind.
· We heard people from the back apartment packing food and clothes and getting “picked up” with a large salbabida. Our other neighbor had also called for help and was picked up at around 7pm. It was then that we realized that if the rains did not stop, we could be trapped too. I had also started packing Aren’s bag, and my bag, and talking with my mother about our options for rescue.
· Luckily, the rains stopped at around 8pm, and the floodwaters started to subside shortly after. We just picked up the main furniture and gave the first floor a quick rinse and sweep, but we had to sleep to regain our energy for cleaning the next day.

Aren had no choice but to stay in the second floor with my mom for another day while we were cleaning. When the electricity was safe to use, we turned on the tv and saw telethons! It was then that I realized that it was a nationwide disaster! Not just a thing that we considered normal.

It took us days to clean up entirely. We had to throw away many items, as many other victims were forced to. Many of our sockets got busted. Our relatives in other parts of Quezon City were luckier than we were; some of them did not see a single inch of water inside their house. We started to develop a contingency plan; my mom said in another impending typhoon, she would take my baby and his bag to my sister’s in Tandang Sora. She did not want another Ondoy.

Neither did I. It was the main reason why we decided to leave the comfortable, ideally-located apartment that we stayed in for 35 years. I had a baby and my parents were not getting any younger. We can no longer afford to move our things from the first floor to the second floor everytime rains would start pouring. Our peace of mind was far more valuable. Despite the slightly more expensive rent, I have no regrets.

The sweetest sound

2010-10-04T14:55:00.004+08:00

I got a ym the other day while I was at work...

Rands: matutuwa ka kay Aren pag-uwi mo
Nades: bakit?
Rands: buo nya na yung “ma-mi”

(in my previous posts I have been open in saying that Aren has not been talking clearly yet, and that I am not worried [yet]. Since he was about 15 months, he has been saying “ma” to refer to me.)

Needless to say, it made my day. Early as it was, I was excited to go home. Finally, it was the moment... Rands asked Aren that night, “sino daw ‘to?" (pointing to me)...

...Aren: “Di yan” (scuttles away)

Yes, the bubble was burst... Aren has learned to say “di yan” earlier than the other words, so he uses that expression often, but it’s cute sometimes. Just not when he is being asked to say “mommy” though. So we didn’t push it. We know him better.

Two nights later, when I came home, he digs into my bag and finds my ID. We were all watching the news, when suddenly i heard it, “Ma-mee.”

My heart leapt!

It took a second for me to realize it, but I’m sure I heard it. He was looking at my picture and recognized me. All I was able to say was “woooooow!” and I hugged him.

It was the sweetest sound I have ever heard in years. Wow, so that was what it felt like...

Since then, he has said it a couple or so times a day. Not really to call me, but when Rands points to my picture and asks him who that is.

No matter... he doesn’t have to call me because my attention is all his every day that I am home.

When my sister heard it, she said, “naku once nagstart na yan marunong magsabi ng mommy...”

I know what she means. I’m not sure I’m ready for that, but so far, I’m loving this new development.

sad farewell

2010-09-27T10:49:00.005+08:00

this month i finally gave it up... i finally admitted to myself that it is truly gone... forever...

my good ol' digicam has finally retired.

it was the newest release of canon when i bought it (well, charged it to my cousin's credit card is more like it). the ixus izoom. circa 2006.

it took a whole lot of photos in its heyday. when i got it, we snap-happy girls at the office went crazy over the multiple-shots setting. we learned how to pose slightly differently for 10 consecutive shots!

it was part of every special occasion in the office, among our relatives, even among rands' relatives. it has travelled far and wide, the farthest was singapore last year. it was indispensable. it was compact and light, had a neck-chain, very convenient.

until a few years ago when my officemates started having their own cameras. my izoom started to "lie low." then it became active again when aren was born. it played a very important part in aren's life since day 1. we took photos and videos of him everyday using that digicam.

however, i also abused it somehow. i just slipped it in my bag or pocket sometimes without the case. when aren was old enough to be able to grasp it, heaven forbid what he does to it.

a few months ago it started to crank out. the lens did not open anymore when i turned the camera on, so i had to "pull" it out. oh my heart bleeds everytime i did, but it was the only way we can get to use it.

until slowly by the day, it refused to open... the last time i remember using it was during rands' birthday (september 4)... after that, it was just sitting at the dresser. no one paying any attention to it, not even aren who used to beg me to let him have it.

feb23 2010: please pardon my speaking lines here, the point is that i was trying to deviate aren's attention, who was trying to grab the camera from my hand!

im so sad. it seems a part of me has died. my ixus izoom was a witness to most of my recent special memories. it was able to capture them beautifully.

recently we have resorted to using the cellphone to take pics and vids of aren...but they are never quite the same as those taken by my izoom.

thanks for all the wonderful memories.

buwan ng wika

2010-09-22T12:51:00.005+08:00

august is buwan ng wika, and in true pinoy fashion, our school culminates it with a day where all students and employees dress up in "kasuotang pilipino."

being real troupers that we are, our office "karirs" it. (hehe if there is such a word...) in fact, yours truly even won the best in costume once...and to think i didn't even put in too much effort on the accessories... :)

this may be a little late, but i'm kinda proud that the filipino departments organize this every year. our students have to be made aware of and appreciate the filipino language and everything in our culture and history.

2008 (i was around 4 months pregnant here. i wore my mom's filipiniana costume when she was younger)

2009 (the dress i wore was like also my cousin's ball costume in the states and sent it here thru balikbayan box)

2010 (we went for the muslim-inspired look this year)

Automatic

2010-08-31T14:47:00.008+08:00

There are some things that we try so hard to teach our kids (or unteach for that matter), to the point that we drive our own selves crazy. And then there are some things that just happen by themselves…

-When he started eating on his high chair when he was around 9 months old, I used to give him little pieces of crackers or bread so he can practice picking them up with his fingers from his bowl, but they’d often fall. Then one day after a few months, it just happened! He can pick up cornflakes, pancit canton, even rice with his pincers!

-I remember when he was over a year old, when we asked him to “point” or “clap”, his index did not quite protrude, or his palms did not quite hit each other, but after a few months, they just happened! We now call him “Boy Turo” among other terms of endearment, and he claps everytime he hears anybody say “yehey” or “very good”.
Aren pointing and clapping

-Pacifiers used to be a staple in the house. He could not sleep without them, and when he woke up, he would get up and look for them and put them in his mouth and fall back asleep. Instead of soothing his gums on hard toys, we gave it to him during the day as well. Just as I was wondering until when we had to buy him pacifiers, when he was 17 months, he “overchewed” on his last one until it had a hole, so we had to throw it away. I was not able to buy a new one right away, and when my mom did after a few days, he didn’t like it anymore. He was literally spitting it out of his mouth! Talk about effortless weaning!

Aren and tatay sleeping (one of my favorite pics of all time)

-We bought him a toothbrush set when he was 18 months old and had 8 front teeth, but for the life of us, we could not get it past his mouth! The bell in the handle didn’t help get his attention! Like many other parents, the baby shut his mouth firmly, and we did not want to subject him to traumatic brushing sessions, so we gave up for a while, never mind if he did develop a little stain on one of his teeth and unpleasant-smelling laway. A few weeks later, I just handed it to him again, and it just happened… he just automatically put it in his mouth! (of course I still had to help him really clean his teeth now) He loves brushing now!

Little stained tooth

These are just some things I can think of now, and I’m not referring to the other things such as talking and toilet training and eating by himself with a spoon and writing, because such things fall under the category “let nature takes its course, but let’s not forget to expose the kids to stimulation and practice.” Yup, that’s exactly what I’m doing now…

Updates

2010-08-04T09:55:00.010+08:00

July has been kinda hectic for our family because my mom’s relatives have come from different parts of the world for a vacation, to celebrate my lola’s 20th death anniversary, and to hold (hopefully the first of many!) a grand Oliveros-Ocampo family reunion.

I (along with my other cousin) emceed the event in Kamayan-Saisaki West Avenue. The best part? The eat-all-you-can baby! Just kidding… getting to see all our relatives in one rare gathering, of course! (but the dessert area is a very close runner-up…)

Aren and Ate Ria dancing to Bad Romance at the reunion

Schedules were crazy as everyone wanted the balikbayans to sleep over their houses or at least drop by for lunch or meryenda, or take the kids out, or shop for pasalubongs.

My mom's balikbayan relatives visit our new apartment

As for Aren, here are his updates at 18 1/2 months:

- 33 inches tall, 30 lbs heavy, 27 size feet (they are huge!)

- Still drinks Enfagrow A+ every at least 6 hours. Eats any solid food. Loves Welch’s grape juice (at least whatever amount I dilute in his water.) Still to master drinking from a sippy cup or regular cup.

- Has broken his high chair just last night. Waiting for our table and chair set from EQ Dry! Woohoo! Will train to eat by himself using spoon and fork and suction bowl when the set comes.

- Has completed his incisor (front) teeth already, but his first molars are already sprouting before his canines! My sister said he will likely be sungki or have spaces in between them because of this. Brushes his teeth by himself now! (well, putting his toothbrush into his mouth at least) he loves his Sansfluo!
- Has recently finished a 5-day Disudrin medication for colds.
- Loves taking a bath and showers.

- Loves looking out of his bedroom window to observe people.

- Still uses large size EQ Dry. Not potty trained yet (will start maybe at two years).

- Loves to run around and climb whatever he can get on top of.
- I have lost track of how many words he knows already. I am amazed at how much he understands of what we say. I am overwhelmed. Although he has yet to learn to speak clear words, he can already sign most of what he wants to say, he can point, he can speak in syllables. He practices with us most of the day!

I keep saying that my indicator that he is no longer a baby is when he learns to talk clearly. With that, I’m not in a hurry for him to learn just yet… :)

harrowing experience

2010-07-27T08:26:00.002+08:00

mrt commuters would know the rush hour experience, i.e., 6-8am and 5-7pm. they would also know that segregation has been in practice since a few years back (not sure of the exact dates though), meaning the first coach is reserved for females, and males who are senior citizens, physically disabled, accompanying children or pregnant women.

since i moved to tandang sora last month, i have become one of the mrt statistics. and im loving every day i ride the train. i always enter through the 2nd door from the front. my station in quezon avenue is just second from the 1st stop, so most of the time, i get to sit (and even safely sleep!) throughout my entire ride to magallanes.

last week, though, i was forced to do the unthinkable. as i was getting past the turnstile, a vacant train was coming in. if i wanted to secure a seat, i had to run all the way to the 2nd door before the warning buzzers go off. but i didnt feel like running, so i just walked my normal pace. i was already near the 1st coach, but i hadnt heard the buzzer yet. a split-second decision made me jump into the 1st door of the 2nd coach (read: males'). i hit the door just as it was closing, and it almost closed in on my arm (or was it hand?).

it was a vacant train, so there were only a handful of males seated. then somebody motioned to me, and i was so relieved to see a female passenger! when we reached the 3rd station, more male passengers came in, but it was in cubao station when it was really the mob! i moved closer to the female passenger as if in helplessness. i even overheard one guy say, "mga lalaki naman lahat eh... pasok!" apparently he was still at the door and wanted to push everybody inside so he can get in. they had probably been waiting at the station for some time.

i just bowed my head and closed my eyes. it was then that i felt a little scared. these were all guys! the only other female there was seated beside me, and i was secretly praying that she doesnt get off before i do! the guy standing in front of me was polite enough to keep his personal space from me, but at times, i felt his knees brushed against mine. it felt really uncomfortable!

super lucky for me, my seatmate was also to get off at magallanes, so she even served as my 'shield' against the male passengers who were still standing. in fact, the train was still almost full, unlike in the female section. i didnt want to be pushing or brushing against them. when i finally got out of the train, i vowed to myself never to take the males' coach again... for all intents and purposes, when an empty train comes into the station while you are still at the turnstile, run!! or walk leisurely and simply wait for the next train to arrive.

live forever in our hearts

2010-06-25T08:34:00.004+08:00

I still think I see him around, not really as a ghostly apparition or something, but in the features of people I see in the bus, on the street, in school sometimes…

I have sudden urges of approaching the person, half expecting to still see the big smile in the face of the big, gentle guy…

I still half expect to see him around school with his camera, or just him in his black brother’s outfit, walking…
Somehow, maybe I haven’t fully accepted it, because it doesn’t seem real to me…It seems to me that he is the kind of person who will be around me forever…

It didn’t seem real that he was… is… gone.

I promised to myself that I would write a very lengthy and heartfelt tribute on your 40th day…

But it seems like I’m at a loss for words…

I decided to wait a little longer so I can compose my essay…

Your 66th birthday passed…

but still to no avail…

It is because I still find it hard to believe that I will no longer see you ever…

And now it has been a year since…

It was fitting but ironic that you passed away on Father’s Day last year.

Thanks Bro., for being an icon of inspiration…

For being hands on, in watching over us, taking care of us…

I will miss your stories in every homily, your laugh, your accent, your mere presence…

…I didn’t have the chance to even show off my son to you… I remember very clearly when I texted you that I had already given birth last year… you replied with one of the most inspiring messages of all…

“Alleluia! Extremely proud and happy for you! Remember, every child born is a message na, May pag-asa pa!”

How very optimistic! Thank you Bro.! Now everytime I look at my baby boy, I see him as a symbol of hope, and love.

Thank you, Brother Ceci…

It might still take a long time for me to fully realize that you’re truly forever gone, partly because I would like to remember you as alive as you can be, as lively as you always are…

Rest now Bro., thank you for always watching over us…

No one can ever ever replace you in our hearts.

my baby has taken after me!

2010-06-23T13:12:00.002+08:00

like mommy, like baby! :)

ba!

2010-05-28T09:13:00.003+08:00

it's funny how a single syllable can be used many different ways by a 16-month-old baby...

-Simba, his favorite stuffed toy

-peek-ba!, our modified version of the game peek-a-boo, where we cover his eyes and say "peek" and when we remove our hands, he will say "ba!"

-Buzz (Lightyear), his foot-tall talking toy from tatay

-baba, or go down from the bedroom

-bath (he says "ba" when he sees anyone holding a towel, or hears the words towel, bathroom, or take a bath)

-bus (any big vehicle he sees on the street is a "ba", even if it's a truck, container van, or a firetruck)

amusing... makes me smile everytime. slowly but surely, he is adding more words to his vocabulary, and we are continuously teaching him everyday. at his age, he doesn't speak clear words yet, but i will take "ba" and its hundred different meanings anyday.

aren with mommy's R2D2 collectible lunchkit "this is so nice, clap clap, i think i'll wear this today!"

mommy's rare day out (off?)

2010-04-16T12:49:00.006+08:00

since aren was born, i had practically zero social life, meaning i hardly met my old friends, or went out to movies or dinner with my officemates, or even attend to my personal needs (i.e., haircut, foot spa, shopping for clothes). i'm not complaining at all; i love every minute i spend with aren, especially now that he's growing more conversant and smarter by the day.

thing is, i cannot afford to be gone for more than 24 hours... i have been away for overnight school activities only thrice yet --for the department teambuilding and institutional retreat-outing last year, and the 3rd time was the department teambuilding for the 2nd year in a row.

it was held at balay indang in cavite from april 14 to 15. it was a quaint house with a pool and huge garden, among other amenities. what i like most about it are the interesting figurines and items inside and around the house.

view from the entrance of the house

view of the living room area from the top of the stairs

getting comfy in the couch with canopy

wait! where's the horse??

afternoon rest in the pavilion (at the background is a pond covered with small leaves!)

dark wood furniture and different pieces of china add to the country atmosphere

yum yum dinner!

in one of the sitting rooms in the balay

swimming at six the following morning

looking for flaglets in the amazing race activity of the teambuilding

group happy!

own version of jump

posing in front of one of the mirrors in the dining area

kahit salamin sa kisame hindi pinatawad!

thanks again girls, for making another adventure a memorable one!

happy bath time!

2010-04-07T12:35:00.003+08:00

i love this photo because it shows that in spite of all the stress for parents in giving their kids a bath, a smile like this can make it all go away. :)

happy bath time everybody!

32

2010-03-15T07:41:00.007+08:00

As they say when one reaches this age, "wala ka na sa kalendaryo!" Literally.

Fears, anxieties, and insecurities also start creeping in.... health, future finances, grad school, career, motherhood concerns.... all these things seem to be directly proportional to age!

At a time when I see the crow's feet, dark undereye circles, crazy facial skin texture, varicose veins, imminent osteoporosis, wrinkly hands, and dry body skin, among others (yes I never thought I am this vain!), I cannot help but be afraid of growing... eherm... old. And these are just the aesthetic reasons!!

However, a few days back, something happened that made me smile big time, and yes, flattered...

I was on my way home from the office, riding the usual bus line that i rode everyday twice a day for the past at least five years. The conductors sometimes ask the destination, some simply issue the ticket especially if they recognize regular patrons. Personally, though, it is not my habit to look at the drivers and conductors to memorize their faces.

I was sitting in my solitude, recalling the events of the day, when this particular conductor passed by my seat, did not ask where I was to get off, and simply keyed in into his handheld ticketing device, and handed this to me:

I took a look at the amount due, I was about to complain that he made a mistake, but then I realized... it was a pleasant mistake! Instead of the usual "Passenger - Ticket" printed at the top, the conductor issued a "Student - Ticket" to me! It was one of the biggest compliments anyone has ever made to me! It was too good a moment to spoil!

So I prepared my fare, and when he came back to collect it, he really handed me back a change of P24 for my P50! He really honestly thought I was a student! (At this point, I didn't know why he didn't notice it, but I thought I was already grinning in excitement.) Then I realized that it was a Friday, and I wasn't wearing my usual office uniform. But then I wasn't even wearing jeans and shirt... it was a casual top for Friday dress code. Hmmm...

If manong was just suffering from poor eyesight, then it was his fault really, that he assumed that I was a student passenger *wink*. It was a high form of flattery, and even if for just a 30-minute trip, I felt that I was years younger than my approaching birthday. Thanks manong; sorry for the undercharge ;)

Thanks to my IPA family for the super daming food last Thursday! You really know how to make me feel special. Yesterday at home, we also had some spaghetti and cake with my eldest sister's family, and last I heard, we'll have another one next weekend with my other sister's family! Rands even promised his own in May *wink* Now, how's that for celebrating my big 32!

aren turns one

2010-02-18T11:27:00.011+08:00

aren's birthday: january 15, 2009

aren's 1st birthday party: january 17, 2010

details: kenny rogers roasters, quezon avenue, quezon city; 2-4pm

we chose the animal theme of kenny because we thought of merging it with our very own lion king theme...

...because aren loves his simba!

cake from gashville,

surrounded by kirigami jungle animals by tita meang (guests were asked to identify the kirigami animals and those with the most number of correct answers won a prize)

lootbags from kenny, mostly catering to school-age guests

prizes (all the animal themed items were from us, the rest were from kenny).

we provided special lootbags for guests below school age (in brown bags)

guests decorated their own cookies, special prizes were given out at the end of the party

guests were given cut out kirigami animals with instructions

overwhelmed by a lot of guests, aren finds comfort in simba

games for kids...

...and adults!

cassey engaged in puzzle activity

simple buffet for adults

the bright-eyed birthday boy

cookie decorating entries

guests were not told that a "best in costume" prize will be given, but ninong bruno and ninang len were chosen, because they were dressed as the theme...

...of the "safari family!"

thanks to our families who helped us!

diaz family

lagahit family

1st haircut!

2010-01-16T12:51:00.008+08:00

Before....

After!

Aren's first haircut! c/o Tito Peter! :)

aren’s 1st christmas

2010-01-07T07:59:00.009+08:00

Holidays 2009 were special because Aren, tatay, and mommy were a complete family, and also because it was Aren’s first.

December 24 was Kuya Christian’s birthday. They came to our house and we celebrated it with lots of food. Tatay and Tito Egay were with us, even if Tita Ricci was not. In the afternoon, we had games, prizes, and exchange gifts for our annual Christmas family get together.

That night, we went to UP for noche buena. Aren still had to get used to lots of people, so he kept on crying. Besides, it was also his bedtime already. He eventually fell asleep in Ate Mikka’s room. We went home at around 1am.

December 25 morning, we spread his floor mats in front of the Christmas tree. Aren opened all his presents, of course with some help from tatay and Lola. He received lots of nice clothes and some toys and food.

"I wonder what this is..."

In the afternoon, we went back to UP. We had more games with his cousins there. We went to church at 6pm, and Aren had his first jeep ride! We brought his stroller in the Ikot jeep, but he did not have to use it in the UP chapel during the mass.

Beside Christmas tree in UP Chapel

In front of Oblation and Admin Building

December 27 was Ate Ria’s party at University Hotel in UP. First, we had Sunday mass at Lourdes, and took pictures at the belen. We picked up Ate Mikka and Tita Tess at UP. It was a nice ballerina party, and we got to see many of our relatives.

In front of belen at Lourdes Church

In Ikot jeep

In front of University Hotel with Ate Mikka

December 29 was Aren's 1st Eastwood trip. We met Ninang Christy, and balikbayans (and newlyweds) Ninang Nancy and Tito Sindre, for lunch. After that, we strolled around, checked out the new mall, and had dessert at Dulcinea. Aren sat on a high chair for a second time this day. He was so tired that he fell asleep in his stroller late that afternoon!

Strolling in Eastwood

December 31, we went to bed at 9pm, when the firecrackers were not yet that loud. Mommy covered Aren’s ears everytime there would be loud and continuous explosions. However, when it was 11:30pm, the noises became too loud that Aren woke up! It was also nice because it was like he wanted to be awake like the rest of us to welcome the new year. We went down in spite of the smoke. We tried to bring him out to see some of the fountains and fireworks, but he became so afraid. But he was brave enough not to cry; he was just holding on to mommy. At 12 midnight, mommy, tatay and Aren jumped!

"The firecrackers are too loud lola!"

We had a few things to eat afterwards. The noises had died down at 1am, and we went back to sleep.

Brave baby did not cry, he was just overwhelmed

January 1, we woke up at 8am. We had to get up to go to church to start the new year right. Aren’s cousins were also coming for lunch. We did not have games, but Tita Gigi brought their magic sing. Unfortunately, we had to leave at 4pm for UP because tatay’s balikbayan relatives sponsored the food for a get together there.

Happy New Year, Ate Ria!

Aren was not very fussy when we got there, maybe because it was held outside at the garage, where it was easy for us to push his stroller around, or for him to practice walking on the street. He was very friendly with his cousins, playing high five, shake hands, and peekaboo with them. But at around 7pm, he started crying, probably from exhaustion and sleepiness.

Aren played with Ate Icia and Kuya Mig

With other cousins from tatay's side

When the guests had left, we went inside Tita Meang’s house. Aren enjoyed it there because he got to practice his walking some more. He would take a few steps towards Kuya Mig, Lola Pining, or tatay, then back to mommy. We were also able to discuss some details about his invitation. As soon as we rode the taxi home, Aren was asleep in literally 10 counts! He was so tired!

January 3, Feast of the Epiphany, we had mass again at Lourdes. He was so active during the 1st part of the mass, only to fall asleep towards the end. It marked the last day of the advent season.

As of today, it is still a busy time for us, because we are starting the countdown to Aren’s first birthday. Preparations are underway, but it will not be a big and overly expensive event. It will simply be a celebration and thanksgiving of Aren’s life and his milestones. At 11 months and 4 weeks, his brain is very receptive to new things. His motor and language skills are developing probably twice by the day. It has become easy for us to teach him actions and new vocabulary. He is also growing physically at an astounding rate! Two new upper teeth (he has bitten mommy, tatay, and lola already!) , weight gain, and I can’t wait for his haircut on the day of his 1st birthday on January 15 courtesy of Tito Peter! All the walking and playing is getting him all sweaty especially at the nape! Tatay acknowledged that he is indeed no longer a “baby,” because his bodily “excretions” all smell like that of a big boy already! :)

watch out for the choppers!

2009-11-06T10:12:00.003+08:00

upon the advice of our pedia, we started giving aren solids on his 6th month. dry cereal mixed with water was mostly what we gave him.

but our choppers did not come out until the week before he turned 9 months! so adorable little white teeth peeking out from his lower gums. :)

he's a little late, i know... (but a little advanced in other milestones, i should say... ) made eating soft biscuits easier for him. we can now think that it's safer to give him more varied solids such as mashed vegetables and fruits.

i'm so excited for the other teeth to appear! more excited to give him other solids too.

the 7-month-old turista

2009-09-28T23:49:00.019+08:00

It was an almost last minute decision... which I’m so glad we did.

It was my and my mom’s first international flight. It was Aren’s first everything :) Six days in Singapore! Too much for a 7-month-old baby? Think again :)

Aren logs:

Day 1: September 4

I had to "read" the safety instructions on the plane

Arrival area, Budget Terminal, Changi Airport

First dinner; Bedok Market

Day 2: September 5

Mommy, takpan ba ang mga mukha namin para lang makita yung sign? :)

With white tigers and giraffes

With lions! Tatay, relatives ni Simba? :)

Day 3: September 6

Nice view from tatay's condo room. Singapore is so clean and orderly!

Merlion Station, Sentosa

Family pic at a nice beach in Sentosa

Underwater world. I was still inside my mommy's tummy when we went to Manila Ocean Park.

Too bad we were not able to get good shots of the dolphin show and Songs of the Sea.

Day 4: September 7

Marina Square

Nice lights

The real Merlion

Day 5: September 8

My first swimming (Tatay's condo)

Orchard stretch of malls

Day 6: September 9

Wonder why it's called Giant? ;) (We were actually entering Ikea which was right across it)

Shuttle bus waiting in front of Courts Megastore

At the airport, waiting for check-in time for flight back to Manila

Lola Pining and company were waiting for us at NAIA. We had no idea of the rains here in Manila. I fell asleep in the car on the way home.

Nades' PS: I'm sure not all of these will stick with Aren's memory, but at least there are photos that will show him in the future that he spent six days in Singapore when he was seven months old.

first award!

2009-09-14T13:11:00.003+08:00

thanks chell! so sorry for the delayed acknowledgment... i know you were still a soon-to-be mom when you gave me this award, and now you are a real mom! (as if there are fake moms! hehe) congratulations! and may i add, you truly deserve this award.

as the title says, this is my first award! thank you, all! *waves to fans* ;) i'm so honored. :)

shake hands!

2009-08-28T22:49:00.015+08:00

Aren’s newest trick! (c/o Lola Nits) It was fun seeing him do this! :) Just make sure that anyone who wants to try this with him should wash their hands first! :)

I’m sooooo proud of my baby… At 7 months, Aren...

- has gained weight from 6.5 lbs. to 10.3 kgs. (almost as heavy as an LPG tank, tatay says)
- has stopped breastfeeding but has increased his formula intake from 2oz to 6oz. (P800 every 6 days huhuhu)
- has outgrown nightly colic. (no moooooooooooore crying bouts!)
- developed and shrunk his inborn hydrocele. (buti nalang, diba lolo? *wink*)
- has turned from very dark-skinned to fairer than his mommy. (haaayyy buti nalang talaga!)
- sleeps through the night and wakes up for a bottle only once (yey for mommy!)
- has outgrown two bassinets and one crib. (Two to go!)
- has graduated from newborn, to small, to medium diapers! (EQ Dry is the brand for us!)
- has attended a swimming party and a Jollibee birthday (with a photo with no less than the bee himself!)
- has increased his vitamins from .3 to .6 ml. (no more natural protection from mommy)
- has started eating cereals. (and a bit of papaya and banana palang... scared pa si lola bigyan sya ng other foods)
- has grown used to the camera. (nice poses for tatay, baby!)
- has developed on-off face rashes, flaky dry skin at his back, and minor colds. (Allergies my dear)
- has learned the all-fours position, and mastered sitting unsupported (and flip through both positions in a matter of seconds!)
- can also stand on two legs just being supported on the hands (but of course for a few seconds only)
- can laugh at the slightest funny face or sound (and even slap whoever is carrying him!)
- can hold his bottle by himself (and finish 6oz in 5minutes!)
- can grasp big toys (and put them in his mouth!)
- has had his first bleeding incident (via a toy cutting through his gums, and mommy went crazy with panic!)
- has had his first fall from the bed (c/o lola nits hehe, but no broken bones or bukol whatsoever, don’t worry!)
- has started babbling (with different volumes and tones at that!)
- has learned to appreciate new sounds and sights. (so many sights to see ba, baby?)
- has had a passport photo taken (very behaved!)
- has visited Lolo Roger at Loyola twice. (although the first time, it rained!)
- turns around when he is called by name. (Aren that is, not Ardelio Endrino though)
- can turn moving parts of his toys with his little fingers. (so cute hand skill!)
- has developed an attachment to a stuffed toy and a pillow (Simba was tatay’s gift to me!)
- has his own ATM card, c/o Ninang Christy (laman nalang ang kulang, tatay!)
- has his own insurance/trust fund (yearly ang hulog tatay ha!)
- has “blown” 7 month-birthday candles (and defaced his 6th month cake!)

Here's looking forward to more milestones!

best tatay in the world

2009-06-25T21:12:00.003+08:00

i hope this is one of those instances when a picture is worth a thousand words, as the cliche goes.

i recall the time that i told you that i hope aren gets to inherit your nose (*wink!*), your athleticism, and your visual artistry. but above all, my daily wish for aren is that he grows up to be a brave boy, like tatay! i can never tell you enough that i am so proud of you! making a decision like that, and more importantly, standing by it.

you have certainly outdone yourself since the first week after aren's birth. all your apprehensions have turned into excitement for the day that you can get to play chase with him. when i see you carrying our little angel, my heart is at peace knowing that he will always be safe even without me, that he can also create a bond just as special with his tatay.

(i hope that doesn't count as a thousand words... rats...)

we hope your first fathers' day was a memorable one!

a reflection on my 1st 3 months as a mom

2009-06-07T22:01:00.014+08:00

thanks to ninang sen, aren has had his first publication at 3 months old: a short feature in our parish newsletter. the easter issue showcased different parishioners and their stories about new life, loves, beginnings, and the like.

writing the article helped me sit back and reflect on my three months of experiences as a first-time mother. i have the honor to reprint our segment:

"I had a fairly pleasant pregnancy, I was surrounded and taken care of by people who loved me. However, an unexpected development caused me to give birth three weeks early. With God’s grace, my labor was only three hours short, and my delivery was normal. What I was most thankful about was the fact that the baby did not have to be put in intensive care.

A few days after Aren was born, I was able to confirm the idea that no amount of books, magazines, or baby items can prepare a first-time mom for a newborn. When my son and I would have quiet time alone, I would feel an overwhelming emotion about his presence. It was like God was speaking to me through him, and I would always acknowledge that Aren is God’s blessing to me and my husband.

Aren has already celebrated two “month birthdays” with our families who dote on him. This Easter will be special for us because he will be baptized on that day. We chose Easter Sunday because it is symbolic of God’s love by renewing mankind by giving us His Son Jesus again. As parents, we promise to show Aren the same love that God showed us when he blessed us with our little angel. We will do our best to raise him with Church teachings, and to always walk the path of the Lord."

as mentioned above, aren was baptized on easter sunday (april 12, 2009) at the up parish of the holy sacrifice. i put some of my "event planning" skills to the test for this occasion. i hope it was memorable for our guests just as it was fun for us organizing it!

1) did not cry after the buhos (yey!); 2) with the ninongs and ninangs

we also decided to celebrate his 3rd month birthday during the reception. our families and friends came to show their love for our little angel.

3) the setup at up hotel; 4) a party staple-- cake! (from chocolate kiss)

the newly-baptized birthday baby, all grown up... (though a bit cranky because he cannot seem to finish his 4oz of milk because of all the interruptions!)

three is a magic number

2009-04-17T15:45:00.020+08:00

when i became pregnant, rands emailed to me the mp3 file of the song three is a magic number... i've never heard of it before, and when i listened to it, it was fun and at the same time touching.

three was a significant number in my birthing story. taking off from my last post, i was lucky because i was the only one in the labor room when we arrived. i was immediately asked to lie down, and the resident conducted my first internal exam at 12:15am (i can see the wall clock from my bed); i was still 3cm. the contractions were becoming more intense then, and i asked the interns if the aircons were turned off, because i was sweating profusely! i swore to myself that i would not cause the same 'scandal' of screaming in pain as my sister did during her labor (hehe, peace!), so i quietly endured it by just distorting my face and body. i did this in between the questions the interns asked me about my pregnancy, personal data, medical history, family background, and i remember the most absurd question i answered was "ano pong tinapos nyo?" (napasagot talaga ako ng mataray na mataray na "ano???" "course po nung college." i thought, anong significance nun sa nangyayari sakin ngayon???)

at 1am, my 2nd ie showed that i was still 3cm. the resident offered a painkiller that can also put me to sleep, so i accepted it, but she said it will not work anymore "pag sinisiksik na ng baby yung ulo nya sa buto mo." i must have dozed off in a few minutes because the next time i woke up, the resident was conducting another ie at 2am, which showed that i was 7cm already. this time the contractions were making me squeal a bit already, and squirm a lot. i was already crumpling into my fist the top of the bedsheet over my head!

at 3am when the resident told me that she will be conducting another ie, i desperately asked, "na naman?" honestly, masakit kasi sya talaga, no joke. the resident was also apologetic but she said they had no choice. to my relief, the moment had come! very calmly, she said, "table na 'to." to me, it seemed like forever for them to lift me to the stretcher and wheel me to the delivery room.

my view from the bed was like how i saw it in grey's anatomy or er, the bright circular lights, tiled walls, interns with heads wearing shower caps. i did not have the chance to see their instruments anymore, but what i noticed was that there was no pain anymore! as in! on hindsight, i thought i was just too excited about the birth to notice the pain, but my sister later told me that it was gone because the baby's head was past the pelvic bone already (which made sense). the residents were giving me final instructions in pushing. i was so proud of myself when i heard them say, "very good."

a short while later, i heard my ob's voice, and saw him at my feet. "sige ne, ire." i pushed. "good. sige hiwaan nyo na yan." he was giving instructions to the interns to conduct episiotomy. then that was the last i remembered...

i opened my eyes. i was in a dark and quiet room. i realized that i was back in the same labor room i was in a few hours ago. i was wondering why. then an intern approached my bed, "kukunin lang po ang bp." i was so disoriented that my first question to him was, "tapos na?" i thought that it was only a few minutes after i last heard my ob. but when the intern said, "opo," i looked at the clock and saw that it was already 430am! but i was so groggy i couldn't keep my eyes open.

later still, another intern checked my bp. i asked her, "miss, kumusta yung baby?" "ay mam, sa nicu (what they called the nursery in our hospital) po ang baby." it was 5am. another intern checked my bp 30 minutes later, and i asked her, "miss naincubator ba yung baby?" "mam hindi po namin alam eh, sa nicu po yun." i thought, for heaven's sakes, was it so hard to make a call to the nicu to be able to answer a mother's concern?? but i still felt sleepy.

i woke up to loud voices and bright morning sunshine. it was already 730am. they prepared to move me to my room on the 3rd floor. when i was transfered to the bed, my mom was there to greet me. "hi, ma. naincubator ba yung baby?" i was so concerned because he was just 37 weeks and 3 days. "ay hindi ko alam, sige puntahan ko." when she left me alone in the room, my sister called. she said she called rands about the good news. we chatted until three residents came in to check on me.

i checked my cellphone, and i saw tatay rands' message, "i love you! THANK YOU GOD! see you hon and baby!!!! at 5:53am. (when my sister called him, he booked the next available flight, and surprised me at the hospital on friday morning) then i started texting all my relatives and friends about the good news. my mom came in a few minutes later with even better news... the baby did not need the incubator! i was so thankful!
my whole labor was three hours (in the labor room, that is...not counting the supposed labor i was having the whole day at home). baby aren was born at 3:30am. i loved referring to him as my "3cm baby" (see previous blog). as rands said, the song three is a magic number would be applicable to us in february. (we had no idea it would be advanced by three weeks... flashback january 14, wednesday 8pm, while i was watching csi in my room on the 2nd floor at home: he called me on the cell and asked me "kumusta ka?" which he didn't do every call. so i answered him with the very simple and straightforward "kung hindi tonight, tomorrow." to which he replied, "talaga?" i was right all along!)

aren is now three months old. rands and i are now a family. three is a magic number. :)

flashback: january 6 - 14, 2009

2009-03-22T17:20:00.001+08:00

It was the 2nd day into the work week of the new year. I was praning because I learned that a faculty in school was expecting a normal delivery but had a last minute cs. I was praning because I thought that I gained a lot of weight over the holidays, and that I might have cs too. So I thought of visiting my “other” ob at healthway after office.

“36 weeks ka na noh? IE kita.” “Po??” “Para sure lang.” It was my first experience of internal exam ever, and a very memorable one at that...”Oh my, 3cm ka na.” “Hindi nga po?” then i got scared. Very calmly she advised me to see my real OB that same night, and take a taxi home. I was very surprised because I wasn’t feeling any symptom of pre-term labor at all! In fact, my holidays were so busy that my relatives were worried for me: Enchanted Kingdom, Christmas parties, birthday parties, our 1st wedding anniversary celebration, Rands coming home, Manila Ocean Park. On my way home, that was when I realized that it must be precisely why my cervix has started dilating already!

The following day, my visit to my OB confirmed my dilatation. I was tested positive for UTI, which was the most probable cause, according to them, so I had to treat it with antibiotics. I was also given medicine to prevent my uterus from contracting because I was only 36 weeks and three days, too early for baby to survive normally. Once I reached my 37th week, it would be safer. Needless to say, I was advised to bedrest. And so it was all so suddenly that I left my tasks at the office, and that I started on an indefinite sick leave.

Our sala would be my bedroom for the next 7 days. My mom would even get my clothes and things for me from the 2nd floor, just so I could literally lie down again after eating or going to the bathroom. I was again praning to strain my bowels or laugh out loud, lest I want my baby to come out already. I even missed the chance to personally shop for my baby’s stuff; my sister did it for me a day into my bedrest ordeal.

January 14, Wednesday, when I woke up in the morning, I thought I had to go to the bathroom, but not quite.. Then I remembered what my cousin said, that the same sensation was already signalling her first stage labor for her last baby. I did not tell my mom that I was feeling this every three or four hours throughout the day. I was even able to watch TV in my room upstairs (yes, I dared!) that night, and I started wearing my watch at around 9pm so I can time my contractions. I continued to watch TV downstairs, and settled in my sofa after the evening news.

I struggled to find a comfortable position, and when I shifted, whooosssh! My water bag broke! It felt like I peed a lot in my shorts. I looked at the clock: 11:45pm. I woke my mom up, then she started to panic! She got dressed, she brought me down some clothes, and she brought down the bags too. While I got dressed, she woke my dad up, and she got a taxi.

The hospital was just 5 minutes away from the house, but the trip seemed to last for hours! I was just quietly enduring the contractions, and my parents were also quiet in the taxi. Finally we reached UDMC at 12 midnight.

the hair, or the glow?

2008-11-03T08:08:00.004+08:00

since i met rands in 2001, i have decided to keep my hair long (at least shoulder length) because he said he liked it better that way (naks!). everyone from my high school knows that i don’t have the best hair (i was actually “least manageable hair” in the yearbook, can you believe they put things like this there?!?!) so it was sort of a tough 6 years for me because I was never really vain in terms of my personal appearance… since i didn’t want too much fuss either, most of the time i tied my hair in a ponytail, and sometime in 2006 i availed of a free rebond session in the hair school managed by a classmate in up graduate school (it was in silky-straight and soft tiptop wash-and-wear condition for at least 8 months!)

then we learned about the “good news.” :) i thought that since i wanted (or actually had) less time to attend to my personal concerns (including physical appearance again) and focus most of my attention on the pregnancy, i decided to cut my hair super short (gasp!) for the first time since college circa 1997. good thing rands agreed with the welcome change.

all the people at work who saw my new do were very surprised (i would bet!). many of them were like “bagay sayo,” “bumata ka,” “lumiwanag ang mukha mo.” i’m flattered and happy that people like it as much as i’m comfortable with it. but one of the best remarks i got was “gumanda ka na.” (di ko alam kung matatawa ako o maiinsulto! hahaha), but i just decided to think of it as a compliment.

in the midst of all these nice words, i also read in some books that at this month, a woman is supposedly “feeling and looking beautiful” because she has the so-called “glow of pregnancy.” even my mom sees me off almost every morning with “ang ganda naman ng anak ko.” (of course that doesn’t count because she is my mom, but thanks anyway mommy!)

now i wonder… is it really the hair, or is it the “glow”? hmmmm, maybe i just cut my hair at the perfect time…

spread the christmas spirit (tag #2)

2008-09-16T09:04:00.004+08:00

chell, can you believe it, in my 3 years as a blogger, this is just my 2nd tag? but i don't mind, i'm not a very active blogger anyway. but thanks, i really appreciate it. :) i'm also eager to spread the christmas spirit!

How it works:

It’s so simple. Copy the photo below then write your blog and your wish this Christmas 2008. Your wish has to be something PRICELESS and SELF-LESS… something that money can’t buy… something that another person will treasure dearly.

since we're talking about family and warm wishes, i'd like to put the two together and pass this on to my loving hubby, who has sacrificed our physical presence to fulfill his duty as family provider. everyday, my wishes and love go out to him. during his last visit, he added that he wants me to pray for two particular things for him while he's staying in singapore. yes, tatay, i will do that po, everyday.

also to mia and gem... please do not let the chain end!

everyone, care to share your own christmas wishes?

"you can mistake them for gas or hunger pains..."

2008-09-15T14:42:00.007+08:00

i read in the book what to expect when you're expecting that at the start of the 2nd trimester of pregnancy, the baby's movements can be faintly felt already. for a first time mom, the movements may even be mistaken for gas or hunger pains. very interesting... in fact, i have had the pleasure of experiencing this already!

yes, rands and i are 19 weeks (more or less) on the way!! so much has happened since the day i confirmed the pregnancy via a home test kit i performed at the toilet of healthway town center. rands was obviously in singapore... i texted everybody about the good news, and deliberately left him out. the next morning i emailed him a photo of the pregtest with the subject "news!" and the caption "are you ready for this?" and he replied with "omg!"
i've cried a couple or so nights already because i'm still overwhelmed by the fact that i was chosen to harbor a real life life inside of me, that there is really a life growing inside of me. what an overwhelming responsibility! every night when i pray, i vow to the heavens that i will do everything in my power to protect that little life in me. so far, our guardian angels and st. gerard majella have been the best!

rands has been in touch everyday. since i broke the news to him, he has come home two times already (di naman halatang excited at nami-miss kami noh?). he (said he) still loves me inspite of my inflamed gums, bulging tummy, and peklat sa legs! (more on my seemingly-endless pregnancy-related infirmities later...) we love you too "tatay"!

flashback: december 20, 2007

2008-07-14T09:03:00.007+08:00

december 20 is my eldest sister's birthday, but this particular date was more special because i was already planning to go on a week-straight leave for my upcoming wedding, but instead, i found myself reporting for work because i had to attend three, yes three, occasions.

morning

ipa annual christmas party

in my hurry (because of the many things on my mind), i forgot the entire envelope of cutouts i had prepared for the design-a-christmas sock competition we had in the office!! i was so sad, because i really thought hard about my concept. i had to make a new one when i got to the office.
i brought yummy dolor's special sapin-sapin for the potluck. of course we had fun games and exchange gift.

afternoon

institutional christmas party

i thought that an about-to-wed woman was lucky at raffles, so i was excited about the prizes. sadly, the major prizes were won one by one, even my officemates won, but i did not. however, our office won a bottle of champagne for getting the most number of points in the per-table game of guessing christmas carol titles.

evening

shower by bridal party

my officemates have already prepared a shower for me earlier in the week, and it was the turn of the bridal party. i was so suprised that my high school and college friends got together to make me feel special! i love them to bits!! it was held at humanessence spa at west avenue, owned by she's friend. after the short program-cum-dinner, they treated me to a full-body massage! thanks girls! nadj stayed with me to have her own massage.

i came home around 1am that night. i was so tired, but happy. then i remember i had a lot more things to do for the wedding!! oh no, back to reality!

ipa summer outing

2008-05-09T09:58:00.016+08:00

My officemates and I had our annual summer gimik a little earlier than usual. And what started as a joke slowly turned into tangible plans, as we decided to go to the summer capital! It was far, and expensive, but it will be worth it because three girls will be first-timers! How exciting!

Our boss did not join us, because she thought against taking her three kids with at least P2,000 budget for each of them. So six of us headed to Victory in Pasay on the night of May 2 with all our bags, ready for a night trip to Baguio!

I am proud of my officemates because they had the best sense of adventure any group could have. No tour guide or itinerary, just a printed-out map and a little research, lots of charm and lots of spirit! We went to almost every tour spot that a first-timer is supposed to go, and of course, took a crazy lot of pictures!

1) Baguio Botanical Garden. 2) Wright Park going to The Mansion

3) View Deck of Good Shepherd Convent, Mines View Park.
4) Oh My Gulay at La Azotea rooftop in Session Road.

5) Hanging out on our first night at the Ulat Residence. 6) Strawberry Farm (La Trinidad) Sunday morning (strawberries and onions on the left, the biggest lettuce on the right)

7) Going down from the Lourdes Grotto.
8) In front of Paliz'zata (we did not eat there, mahal eh... we just had mass at the Baguio Cathedral hehe)

We took the 10:40pm bus back to Manila, and snatched a couple hours sleep on Monday morning in the office. But what the heck! As early as now, we are already scouting for the venue of our gimik for next summer! I love you girls! Friends forever!

tag # 1

2008-05-09T09:14:00.002+08:00

three months after my last post, and now i'm back! thanks to mia, who tagged me, so i can update this blog hehe.

mia asked me to write down six unimportant things about me. mee, ang hirap!!! it's hard pala to think of unimportant things! hehe

the rules: link to the person that tagged you. post the rules on your blog. share six unimportant things/habits/quirks about your self. tag 6 random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs. let these random people know that they are tagged by leaving comments in their blog. let your tagger know when your entry is up.

1. i am the youngest of three girls. all of us are married already but i am the one staying with my parents.
2. i met hubby through a friend (former officemate) who was also his cousin. (the love story deserves another entry hehe)
3. i loooooooove sleep!!! it's the most precious thing in the world for me!
4. i have been working 7 years in DLSZ. yup, commute every single day. crazy.
5. i've been studying measurement and evaluation in up college of education since 2003, and all i have to complete is my thesis so i can get my degree. woohoo!! (per mrr na haha!)
6. i'm piscean. hmmm, but this info might be important to people who like astrology or something.

mee, i'll think of 6 people to tag pa ha.. hehe utang uli. thanks!

officially nadine ocampo diaz-lagahit!

2008-02-04T15:01:00.000+08:00

december 22, 2007... i finally married my pig-out companion, movie-partner, text-and-ym-mate, my kakwentuhan, my kaharutan, my bestfriend...

we chose no less than my parish, national shrine of our lady of lourdes, for the 9am ceremony. the lunch reception was held at seameo innotech pearl hall.

all our family and friends were there to share the special day with us. thanks to everyone who helped make it a success! here's to a whole lifetime ahead!

food and traditions

2007-11-29T11:35:00.000+08:00

You know how when you're in a certain place, you feel you have to be eating something specific, or you associate it with a particular food?

Since my childhood, our family has observed traditions in terms of food, such as the old The Swan bakeshop near Lourdes Church (where Skin Zen is located now) after Sunday mass, or whenever we passed by the old Coney Island store at Welcome Rotonda (where Jollibee is located now) I always ordered pistachio ice cream (of course it was just the one scoop cup and very seldom because that brand was very expensive then).

Now, I've developed my own traditions. Everytime we eat at Jollibee (the favorite Pinoy fastfood of all time!!), I most of the time order N3 meal (you addicts like me definitely know what the meal consists of! hehe), and if I feel like upgrading, I add regular fries with lots of ketchup and a sundae. When I'm at Randy's in UP, he always makes it a point to buy me lumpiang togue at his neighbor's tindahan (and lately he has added kwek-kwek, siomai, and RC Cola to the list). Before the fishball stands sprouted all around Metro Manila, it used to be only in UP where fishballs etc. were the safest to eat.

When I sleep over at my sister's house in Tandang Sora, I always request for ginisang kalabasa for ulam the following day. It has become a habit for me to bring donuts for pasalubong to my nephew and niece (when Ria was younger, she would say, "ONAT!!!")...I usually buy this at Mister Donut at the North Ave. MRT station. Sometimes I get them the repacked choco mallows or choco chip cookies. At Kanlaon, Sunday morning has become sweet corn-and-kakanin time for me and my parents...I always buy this after my 6-7am service, and we would talk about updates for the week while eating.

I'm sure you have your own food traditions to share. I can't wait to develop my own with my own family in the future.

close brush

2007-10-24T07:59:00.000+08:00

It has been raining the past few days, so everyone should be careful on the road. Even Rands' kuya figured in an accident this week. I had my own experience too.

About two weeks ago, on my way home, I headed to the usual terminal in Alabang. There were already people waiting in line for the next bus, because the present bus was almost full ("Dalawa nalang!"), and they did not want to sit at the back. I thought, what the heck, I don't mind, so I got in. When I reached the back, there was a fellow employee from our school! It was sort of a pleasant surprise.

So the bus went on its way... The conductor started giving out tickets from the front, a lady stood at the middle for a "pangangaral", and a baby was crying softly... that was the last I heard before... you know, I fell asleep (as always!). I half-awoke when the bus ascended the skyway ramp and the conductor was two rows away from us ... then a few moments later, we heard something burst at the rear part of the bus. I felt the bus swerve abruptly to the left, and the women screamed... Suddenly, we were at a complete stop. The rear tire of the bus had burst.

I was jolted fully awake by this time, and my fellow employee looked a little shocked. "Buti nalang dala ko 'tong bigay ni Ms. Balgos," and he showed me a rosary dangling from his pocket. I also heard someone say, "Buti nalang may nangangaral dyan, abutan nyo kahit barya." Then we all got off the bus. When I reached the door, it was then that the situation hit me ... we were right at the edge of the skyway!

This part of the skyway had a "sidewalk-type" of structure, about one-foot wide, before the edge of the railing. According to some of the passengers, if we had been on the rightmost lane when the tire burst, there would be no other way for us but through the railings and down into the highway below, a good 30-40 feet!

I must admit my knees were shaking a bit while we were waiting for another bus to pick us up, but my fellow employee was a little more shocked than I was (because I was actually asleep when it happened), because he got off with me at Magallanes so he can take the MRT instead, "Parang na-trauma ata ako, pag nagbbrake, kinakabahan ako."

Divine intervention ... there is no other explanation for what happened. We were not even going fast enough for a big accident. A lady preaching the word, a baby that people in general consider as an angel, many passengers who are believers and some may actually be praying during that time... all of these saved us. I am quite lucky, there is no other explanation for it ... we were saved.

anecdotes

2007-10-08T08:02:00.000+08:00

last saturday, my ex-officemate carlos' baby gabby celebrated her 3rd birthday at mcdo in front of sta. lucia. the party was 9-11am!! i had consultation for my practicum class; i came at 830am hoping to finish at 9, but our prof was late! we ended up arriving at the party at 1030am! i forced my nephews to join the games even before they can sit down to eat! randy and i called it "the 30-minute party" hehe. we had to leave at a little past 11am because there was another gown-clad little girl waiting for her princess party to start. it was short but sweet; sheila and i got to meet old friends again.

(in the picture, gabby is holding our gift right there! cutie girl!)

--- * ---

when we went to mass in up chapel yesterday, i was so touched by how the resident lector read the second reading (she was much better than how i read it during my service at lourdes that morning! hehe, feeling ba?), that i told randy that i want to approach her to compliment her. when the mass ended, she was still in the sacristy, but when we went to shopping center, she was there! so i mustered courage then i approached her.

nades: hello po.

resident lector: hi! (very pleasantly)

nades: ang galing nyo po magbasa.

resident lector: salamat. (then she advances to me seemingly for a hug, and I actually make her 'beso'!, innocently thinking that she is just really ma-chika)

resident lector: hanggang kelan ka dito?

nades: (omg, shucks! she mistook me for somebody, dyahe!) ay nagsimba lang po ako jan, sorry po. (ang dilim kasi sa may shopping eh!)

resident lector: ah. ok salamat. *walks away*

my good intention turned embarrasing experience...

---*---

last night, i watched return of the king on ch7 up to 1am, when i've seen it when it was shown at the cinemas! i chanced upon it last sunday when i came home late, and when they didn't finish it (there was a part2!), i had to see it. nakakaadik! *does anyone know why frodo had to leave the shire? hehe*

---*---

this morning, i got to experience one of my most eeeww moments! i was seated in a bus, between two males. this guy at the window seat spits out the window, and then i felt something... (you wouldn't want me to continue... i still shudder at the feeling. napamura talaga ako, then he goes "ay sorry", and takes out his towel, but i wouldn't dare let him wipe me with that!) this should teach everybody a lesson, to always bring wet wipes or tissue when traveling.

'official statement'

2007-09-17T14:10:00.000+08:00

Hi. I’m sure you’ve heard of the news by now… I’m so sorry if it came as a surprise to you. I’m sorry also if I was unable to inform you about it. But we all know how hard last year was for me in terms of coordinating the training activities. But I wouldn’t have survived it without the help of very dedicated and concerned people, who have the same compassion for the ministry as I have. Thank you very much ____ for your support. Too bad not everybody appreciated the effort I exerted, and all they saw were the loopholes. I really had no intention to continue the position, and thankfully at the same time, I had a valid (and convenient, hehe) excuse that I was moving, which would make it more difficult for me to do coordinating work. What I did not intend though, was to disrupt the election process, because in the first place, I was not expecting to get into the top 8 after all the criticisms I have received. Again, please accept my humble appreciation for your guidance for the past year. I look up to the training team in terms of expertise, and I will also cherish the friendship you’ve shared with me..you accepted me for who I am, shortcomings and all. I am somehow relieved that I will leave the committee to the able leadership of ____ (although as of this writing, they have yet to meet as a group to decide on the positions). I hope that the politics that manifested during the elections will not linger in the group for the next year onwards. Good luck to everybody. I will still be an active member until I still can. Please extend the same support to the next training head as you did to me. Please don’t be mad at me. I hope we still continue to keep in touch, and remain friends.

be green for life!

2007-08-29T15:05:00.000+08:00

Imagine this: Saving our forests from total denudation for just digging a few inches of soil? Or this: Preventing flashfloods and further global warming for just a short trek that can provide a thorough exercise? Or this: Preserving terrestrial ecosystems for just having fun with friends doing a worthwhile activity?

Seems impossible? Not really! A huge task like saving the environment really can be this easy and fun! Volunteers from different La Salle schools have proven this through the “Green for Life: Plant a Million Trees” Project. Launched in September 2006, the project aims to (1) provide a venue for more proactive responses to environmental issues via tree planting activities and reforestation programs that promotes the propagation and caring for indigenous species; (2) draw out mechanisms that will systematically involve the Lasallian Family in sustainable reforestation and greening efforts in close partnership and coordination with local communities; and (3) conscienticize the Lasallian Family and people belonging to the various partner communities on the importance of natural ecosystems such as forests through tree-planting and reforestation activities that promote a more practical “learning-by-doing” approach in environmental education. For five Saturdays, volunteers will target to plant 5,500 seedlings of endemic species before the end of 2007 in the 280-hectare restoration area in Mt. Palay Palay National Park in Maragondon, Cavite.

As if on cue, my professor cancelled classes on August 25, the schedule when DLSZ will be lead school for the treeplanting. Mymy and Arcy, officemates from IPA, were among the volunteers composed of day school and night school students, administrators, teachers, and other employees. I saw Wowee again, an old friend from Tugon Eco Camp in 2003. During the orientation, the volunteers were reminded to always proceed in pairs, do not leave trash in the mountain, sip water to avoid dehydration, among others. The trek was slightly slippery, but we were well equipped with rubber-soled shoes and even walking sticks from dried branches. At the site, holes in the soil have been dug already, we simply had to remove the seedlings from the plastic, put it in the hole and cover it with soil, detach the tag from the seedling, and tie the string to the bamboo pole beside it. (And throw the plastic in the trash bag!) I started to work on a seedling, digging the hole deeper, and really taking my time, uttering a mantra to my tree so that it will grow well. When I finished though, the other volunteers have covered the area until the side of the slope in a matter of minutes! I still carefully went down the steep slope, just so I can check whether the other trees were planted properly by the students. After all the seedlings have been planted, and after posing for a few posterity shots, the group trekked back down the mountain, just in time for lunch beside the clear-water stream.

My legs hurt all over the morning after, but I was fulfilled, knowing that I did my share for the environment. There are other ways; find one that will suit you best!

doppelganger?

2007-08-06T12:02:00.000+08:00

In literature, a doppelganger (“double walker”) is the ghostly double of a living person, a sinister form of bilocation. I haven’t personally encountered anything like this, or even heard the word before in my life, until it actually happened to me! Eerie!

It was in November 2004 when I was still a classroom teacher. I filed for a whole day leave from work because I had to enroll in UP for my graduate classes for the second sem (Anyone who has ever studied in UP knows that enrollment takes one whole day, even more! Even with CRS and all!) I was already in the Benitez theater at around 4pm, waiting for my assessment, when a fellow teacher texted me something like “Nades, andito ka ba daw sa school ngayon?” To which I replied something like “No, why?” Then she said something that sent me shivers… at least three of my fellow teachers claimed to have seen me in school that day! I asked her to quit kidding, but she said she was also just as surprised.

The following day, when I reported back to work, my fellow teachers hugged me, and told me all about their experiences. The first one “allegedly” saw me at around 7:30 am (the time I usually come in) sitting on my desk looking at my reminders tacked to my divider. The second “sighting" was at past 12 noon, when almost all the teachers had gone down to the auditorium for a seminar. This teacher claimed that I walked past him and even “said” something like “Lika na, baba na tayo,” but cannot be sure what happened next because he said he merely replied “ok” without even looking up from what he was doing. The third one claimed she saw me in the seminar.

While I was listening to them, it sounded too fantastic, but they could almost swear that it really was me. Nothing bad actually happened, unlike in the literature that states that doppelgangers are premonitions of death or harbingers of bad luck. But what other explanation can there be? One teacher said that it was probably because I was so used to my routine for the past five months that when I took just one day off, my “spirit” did not “realize” that my body was not there but continued to linger in my regular work area! It seemed logical, but nevertheless eerie. They even kidded me to submit my experience to Nginiiig Files, and get paid for the story.

After that experience, I have made it a habit to inform all my officemates if ever I am taking a leave for a particular day. This may be a useful tip for everybody too, so that nobody will “think they saw you that day.” Awoooo!!

volunteers take a break

2007-07-06T13:30:00.000+08:00

Remember in my previous post how I mentioned something about having been a PPCRV volunteer for the May 14 elections? All the hard work paid off after all! Our parish priest treated the volunteers from the parish to an outing to Subic last June 9! Woohoo!!

Sen suggested that I tag Rands along. She brought her baby Andrew too. Our first stop… Extreme Adventure! We were so excited to try the Slide for Life, but we had to wait for our turn because the harnesses and helmets were good for 20 people at a time only. I’m not really afraid of heights, so I didn’t feel dizzy or anything. The first slide was ok, the second was like my insides flipped!, and the third was the longest! It was fun! The trek back up was hot though.

With our shirts and hair drenched in sweat (eewww!), we got back in the bus to go to our next destination --- All Hands Beach! We had a greeeeeeat lunch (courtesy of Tess), and of course we had to take pictures of the view before getting ourselves wet. At around 3pm, merienda was again available…it was the life! Rands and I were together while the sun was setting, talking about future stuff. (mushy ba? hehe)

Rands made this amazing sand sculpture of a pawikan; Andrew and me

Shot before sunset; Nightshot of me

We left the beach at past 7pm and reached home 12 midnight. It was nice getting together with fellow volunteers from the parish, but what I enjoyed more was the company and concern of people who really mean a lot to me and whom I care for. Thanks Father Mon, for a wonderful (all expenses paid) time! (I was assigned the 6am mass the following day, Sunday, and he was also the priest presider!)

my summer 2007

2007-06-20T08:20:00.000+08:00

Unlike last year, my summer this year was not as ‘grandiose’ so to speak, although of course it was made special by little trips with family and friends to different places.

april 29 (teambuilding with nsoll core team)

Derrick, Sen, Reg, Tess, Edna, Yen and I stayed overnight at this cozy house for our teambuilding. We barely had time to tour Tagaytay for our leisure, and the time for the program itself was not enough. But the following day, before going home, we had lunch at the Greek Tavern (oh dear, I hope I didn't mix it up with another resto!), where the owner (whose name skips me right now..) was very down-to-earth to the point of valet-parking your car for you (because, as he said, "I know my parking more.")

may 4-5 (ipa outing)

This year, we invited some friends from other offices to join us, and it was a better decision because we had more fun! Besides, it was a birthday celebration for five of them! We rented a private cottage at La Vista Pansol with its own small pool at the back. We had night swimming in the "Bukal," and the following day, we toured the resort's other facilities, which include a mini-zoo and native gazebos.

may 14 (ppcrv volunteer)

I was convinced by a friend to volunteer as ppcrv watcher in the elections. In our voting area, my precinct was the last as in literally the last one to finish in canvassing! I went home past 12 midnight, but I take my hats off to the young volunteers from the parish who stayed until the COCs were taken to the city hall. I sure hope many of the voting population exercised their right. It proved to be an election that was a far cry from the traditional politics the country has been experiencing in the past.

may 24 (family summer outing)

Since my dad had an operation, and my nephews were circumcised (haha :), we decided not to go very far for our summer outing. La Mesa ecopark was near and cheap and a nice alternative, with special rates for Quezon City residents and students. It is absolutely lovely, truly a refreshing break. Of course Randy joined us again as he does every summer outing that we have. There was swimming, fishing, biking, sightseeing of flower terraces, orchidarium, and the glorious La Mesa dam itself. One whole day was not enough, but we had to leave because the park closes at 5pm, and the rain started pouring at 4pm. We went straight to Trinoma, where we had dinner.

Maybe this summer really taught me that I need not go far to enjoy the company of family and friends. We can make the most out of every minute we spend with one another. (Besides, we can save a lot on transportation and travel time!) :) I hope your summer was fun. too!

renzo in antipolo

2007-05-04T08:56:00.000+08:00

For the past few years, it has become my mom’s devotion to attend mass at the Antipolo Shrine every May 1 as part of the Feast of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage. Part of the sacrifice was the travel by public transpo, the ultra heat, and sometimes standing amidst other devotees throughout the entire mass. I remember one year when Randy and I went with her, and last year when Ate Ricci and the two boys went with us. This year, it was the turn of Renzo and Ate Gigi.

We took a different route from the previous years (jeep from Cubao) because we had to meet them in Tandang Sora, so we got to walk inside UP campus, and to try taking the FX at Katipunan. Luckily we made the 11am mass, so we were able to get seats! We were all so hungry already because we skipped breakfast, but just the same, right after the mass we queued for going up to the image of the Lady at the top of the altar to touch her mantle. Had cameras been allowed, I would have taken a shot of Renzo’s little pudgy hand laying on top of the mantle! ;) Instead I took shots of him outside the church.

It was also a tradition for us to buy pasalubong at the covered court beside the church, and eat at a fastfood in the area. This year, we decided that we cannot possibly eat immediately and properly given that ALL the fastfood places were teeming with people, as in! So while Renzo joined lola in buying pasalubong, my sister and I headed to 7-11 to buy LARGE Slurpee (yummmm!) and sandwiches, just to last us until we reach Cubao in another hour or so. So we had our decent lunch-merienda at Pancake House at Gateway, and after a few hours of strolling, we headed home.

flashback: april 3, 1994

2007-04-23T13:35:00.000+08:00

Part of my time is now devoted to church service. Not just the regular mass service as lector or commentator, but as coordinator of the recruitment and training committee of the ministry. A lot has happened since I became member of the committee last year, until now that the training for the second batch is ongoing. I cannot believe how much time and effort I actually spend in the ministry and for the committee. In spite of this, I am not complaining. I look around and I see more people who are more committed than I am. Committed in the sense that they prefer to be behind the scenes than in the limelight. For me that is what real service is about.

How did I become a lector and commentator at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in the first place? Not many people know the real story, so I thought I’d post it here. By the way, I had to dig into my boxes for my 1994 diary for the precise events that led to my joining the ministry (quoted verbatim, parenthetical italics were added for better understanding of the contexts of events 12 years ago):

3 Apr 1994
I had a very weird Sunday today. My gosh, I guess it had started even yesterday during the Lenten program ‘Paglalakbay sa Buhay Makulay’ (if I could just get a copy of the map to the Buhay Makulay!) It starred Duncan Ramos, Ray-An, Martin etc. It was about a boy who traveled through the colorful world (each color in the map meant something), but first had his sins cleansed, then brought his friend to the same experience. It all hit me, like if a kid like him could be convinced like that, I wasn’t far from being so! It brought me a lot closer to God. That was last night yet. This morning, we went to mass at 11AM. For the 1st time ever in my life, I wore slacks. Paired with sis’ purple rosed blouse. It was cool!

We arrived exactly 11 to find out that the 10AM has not even ended! But we (Dits, ma) made siksik to get seats for our mass which began at 11:20 already. Well, Peace part and I felt the air change. Our Father part and I felt dizzy. Nahihilong nasusuka at nae-LBM. My knees were really wobbling. I waited for the song to end. “May tao na ba sa bahay?” I looked at my mom and sister. I was about to fall, I swear. I held on to the pew. “Nahihilo ka? Wala pang tao dahil na kay Ate mo yung susi.” “Upo ka muna dyan.” Great! I needed to do something. Please! I immediately sat. Mommy dragged me out to fresh air. Dits stayed. I sat where paupers usually did just outside the church side door. While were walking out, my knees really collapsed; good thing I was holding on to mommy. But I didn’t black out. She wanted to bring me farther to a bench, but my knees couldn’t take me there anymore. I begged to stay. Mom allowed me to puke at the shrubs, I thought it was OK too because it was an emergency anyway. I was bowed down to force my puke, I was really worn out, my mom said I was ghastly pale, I was sweating all over, and my mom felt I was cold. I felt really weak, I swear.

I already felt people were looking at me, until this woman who sold sweepstakes handed mom Sanitary Balm. “Ipahid mo ito sa kanya.” She accepted. I wasn’t able to stare at her features; all I saw were her tickets and the ointment. She gave mom instructions on how to do it, but she thought mom didn’t do it quite right, so she did it on me. They had a little chat, but I don’t remember any of it now, if I ever heard any. Something about luck according to my mole, “naamuyan ito,” being inside the church. Her hands were light but they made precise movements. She massaged my nape and the area near my mole. Dits said she made circles with her fingers around my mole. I didn’t even feel it. I wiped my trickling sweat (down the side of my face) then my pukeing sensation was gone. I was still a little dizzy when she stopped. She asked me and I answered truthfully. “Mamaya mawawala na yan.” I was still not aware of my surroundings, so I did not see her after the PT (physical therapy). I heard my Dits though, “Ma bumili ka ng ticket in return.” “Oo sige.”

We did not finish the mass. We proceeded to the benches. I tried to look for the woman, and when I failed, it occurred to me that she might be some kind of ghostly reminder. But quickly dismissed the idea and instead thought I might find her later and buy a ticket as a sign of thanks. The mass was over and we waited, (some parts deleted) Mommy had to go somewhere, but we three looked for her first. Although we didn’t really look thoroughly, she was nowhere in sight. She should’ve been in sight where there were people because she was supposed to be ‘making a living ‘ selling tickets. But we didn’t find her. I wasn’t supposed to give up, but I wanted to go home and my head was still swirling. Walking home, my sister insisted that she was Jesus trying to tell me something, and she said only I knew what it was. On my part, I pitied the woman because she was just a mere vendor and my Dits put all sorts of silly representations into it. It’s not that I’m doubting, but what if it’s not? I haven’t proven it anyway. I wouldn’t believe until I thoroughly search the area and never find her at all. Maybe I’ll do that sometime. I’ll even do interviews about her, and if nobody else has seen her ever, she’s no ordinary vendor, just as Dits had concluded.

We went to Fuentebella (street in Timog area, house of my dad’s tito and tita) at 5PM to pay a visit. They were happy, we ate, then Lola Etta (she passed away a few years ago) told us many stories. She sat with us long enough to tell us her family’s history. (some parts deleted) I learned so much from her. She specified on values formation. And faith. Oh yes, I became emotional about the faith part. “Nilalang ako ng Diyos, kaya hindi Nya ako papabayaan.” “Magpasalamat tayo sa lahat ng bagay, lahat ay bigay Nya.” “Kumapit ka lang sa Kanya.” The couple has strong faith. They made mine stronger. (some parts deleted) On our Mayon (street/jeep terminal to our house) ride, 3 girls were talking about Bible verses. They were about my age, but they memorize a few Bible verses. I dunno their business, but I was touched that teenagers my age actually have time for the Bible! What is this, another point to persuade me? Three experiences in a day! Too amazing to be true! (the rest of the journal entry no longer relevant to topic..)

So forward to the present day… that was, I think, the turning point of my ‘faith’ life. That summer, I had just graduated from high school and was looking for a summer job, just as I had been doing for the past two summers. But that same year, almost two months after that decisive day, there was an announcement during Sunday mass that they needed lectors and commentators for our parish. I thought that this was another calling to me. So I applied. The rest, as they say… you know what they say..

resurrection, ala easter

2007-04-18T09:08:00.000+08:00

I must apologize for not having posted for the past --- 4 months (has it really been???). Part of it was my thinking that nobody reads my site anyway! Haha. But really, it was mainly because I was SO BUSY. So busy is an understatement actually. I have never been so busy my entire life. Office work. School. Church duties. Personal stuff. Really.

However, the writer in me has been craving again… anything, just anything to write about. Anything to post. Anything. A few weeks after the end of the school year, yes, this is the perfect free time. By "free," I mean not too much work. By "not too much," I mean we can still eat lunch at 12:00 to 1:00, and leave at 5:00 pm.

Anyway, here I am again. Not to go back 4 months in time, but just to start over. After all, since it’s already summer, I expect to have more of this “free time.” I have to make the most of this… until June comes again, that is.

a weekend without cellsites and electricity

2006-11-08T10:17:00.000+08:00

“Suppose someone has enough to live and sees a brother or sister in need, but does not help. Then God’s love is not living in that person.” - 1 John 3:17

Saturday, October 28, 2006

7am
It was a bright and beautiful Saturday morning, very conducive for conducting the simultaneous outreach activities of DLSZ teachers. Everyone met at McDonald’s ATC, armed with caps, shades, and cameras (plus their respective tools and goods), where different rides waited to take the participants to the various venues. Our group was among the last to leave… let’s ask Ralf why… ;)

So there we were, the chosen few… ten to be exact… Jay, Flu, Denise, Chetty, Pao, Lucky, Ralf, Ruby, Kyra, and I… on our way to one of the most memorable experiences we’ll ever have in our entire lives… to reach out to our brothers and sisters in Canumay, Antipolo.

10am
We were picked up at Antipolo church by the LSVP in a transportation that was more accustomed to the Canumay trail. Ms. Annie apologized for being late because… we were to find that out for ourselves later! The jeep’s appearance was just a preview!

That jeep ride was something!! Let’s just say it can give the Space Shuttle in Enchanted Kingdom a run for its money, with the airiness of Flying Fiesta, the side splashes of Jungle Log Jam (not of water, but mud!!), and the bumps of Dodgem, all minus the safety strap! When we reached the ascending parts of the mountain, the pahinantes braced the wheels with chains for better grip on the mud. In parts when the wheels were stuck in deep mud, they tied a rope to a tree a few meters away and it was attached to a pulley in front of the jeep. They even had to put down the covers on the side windows for the mud splatters! Ms. Annie sat coolly in front while we screamed at every surge because it meant that we had to hold tight to the bars and on to our bags… we were like eggs being thrown around inside the basket!

We finally reached Pagsiko, which was the ‘jeep terminal’ before the trek down to Canumay. My whole body felt sore, but we were only halfway.

1pm
We started walking with all our bags and boxes. I trailed the group because I wanted to walk slowly but surely, focusing on my feet. But when I looked up, I realized that I was missing the lovely view! The hills and fields were green, the breeze was light, and the sun was shining gently. It was my first time to walk through pilapil. After what seems like hours, we reached the LSVP quarters, where the other LSVP volunteers welcomed us. My shirt was literally drenched in sweat, and my shoes were caked in mud.

We literally pounced on the lunch that was waiting for us. My whole body, especially my legs, was trembling from exhaustion. We were lagging behind schedule, so we had to forego a few minutes of rest. Our respective small groups were ready for our activities.

2pm
Chetty, Pao, and Lucky stayed in the quarters to convene the community leaders, while the rest of us proceeded to the basketball court with the kids. (Not another stretch of walking!) Flu, Ruby, and I handled the grade school kids, while Jay, Denise, Kyra, and Ralf spent the afternoon with the pre-school kids.

In the basketball court a few kilometers away, it was full of activities infused with values and lots of fun learning -- story-telling, coloring, singing, dancing, and games. The kids were given prizes of candies and cookies. We discovered that the kids of Canumay were smart, active, talented, and cheerful.

After the activities, we caught our well-deserved rest. We also started talking about our program for the ‘cultural night.’ Then we were one by one brought to our respective foster families. Jay was right when he said that we were not like next-door neighbors – the houses were far from one another! There were houses uphill, far down the road, and farther up beyond more ricefields!

6pm
I was somehow relieved that my family lived right behind Ruby’s. When I arrived, it was almost dark, but people were still outside nagbabayo ng bigas in the common area. One of them was Kuya Willy, the head of my foster family. Inside the house, Lovely, his wife, greeted me warmly. She was already preparing supper, and I wanted to help but it was so hard groping in the dark, with only a small gasera to provide light to the entire house, but Love was so used to it already. I saw another small flicker of light in another room, and I heard a faint crying. Then I realized that there was a baby! Instead of getting in Love’s way in the kitchen, I picked up the crying baby instead. He had colds which made him feel uncomfortable. Later, I helped their two older sons pick grains of palay from the bigas that Kuya Willy had brought in. Imagine doing that with just a small source of light, which you should finish in a few minutes because you will have to cook that for supper.

My foster family
Lovely was 24, Kuya Willy was 35. She was a housewife, he was nagkakaingin. She was originally from Pangasinan, and his family had lived in Canumay eversince. They had been married eight years.

They had three boys: Daboy was five. He was what Love would call matapang and matigas ang ulo. JR, four, was also fondly called Ping, short for pingkiw, because he fell two different times when he was younger and either broke or dislocated both his arms. The most the hilot could do was repair them a little bent to the back. The youngest, Moises, was two months old.

We were told that volunteers had to eat whatever the family served. Fortunately, that night, we had something that I was already used to eating… kalabasa. Over supper, they openly shared with me how their life was, their past, some valuable lessons. After eating, I informed them of the cultural night, but then I realized that I could not force them to join me because of baby Moises. I decided to stay with them in the house. They borrowed an extra katre from a neighbor, where Love, the baby, JR, and I slept under the kulambo, while Kuya Willy and Daboy occupied the other one.

As I lay down, I heard voices from the hill, and thinking that it was the other volunteers and their foster families holding the cultural night, I dozed off…

Sunday, October 29, 2006

2am
I woke up shaking from chill, with no idea what time it was. I remembered how Love reminded me to put on my jacket because it got very cold at night. Since I could not get it from my bag without waking up the baby, I just drew up my blanket tighter.

After that, I woke up probably every hour. The baby was starting to be a little fussy, crying every now and then, and Love would breastfeed him. JR wanted to pee, and before I knew it, the roosters were crowing and I could see light from the cracks on the walls. Love got up to prepare water for coffee. Kuya Willy would be up in a while to leave for kaingin.

I was still in bed when Jay called out to me. They had come for Ruby and me to go to the falls, which we had been planning the day before. While I was preparing, Love said that I must have been really tired from the trip because I was snoring in my sleep! Oh dear, how embarrassing! After a few minutes, Ralf was calling out, so I left without any breakfast.

7am
We met up at the LSVP quarters again, but the others were not able to join us. Flu’s foster sister, Buday, was our guide to the falls. With my legs hardly recovering from the day before, we were again walking, but this time, the trail was more slippery because of the rain that night. Finally, Jay, Ralf, Lucky, Flu, Ruby, and I reached the mini falls. After about an hour of bathing and taking pictures, we headed back.

We returned to our respective families for breakfast or help in the house or pack up. I asked Love where I can take a bath. She said they did so in the poso in the common area… But she offered the nearby common toilet, which had three walls of hollow blocks, and one side covered with sako… with a half-foot gap and which fluttered everytime the wind blew! I got water from the poso and hurriedly took my bath, before the goat grazing nearby decides to charge into the toilet! After packing up, I asked Love to join me to the LSVP quarters for the processing activity, so I can give her the small token we have prepared. Since she also wanted to ask for medicine for the baby’s colds, she left her baby to a young neighbor because Kuya Willy had gone to kaingin, and her two sons wanted to go with us.

9am
It started to rain as the volunteers arrived with their foster parents, so we decided to hold the processing activity inside the quarters. Since two of us were not able to attend the cultural night, we introduced our foster families first. We shared our insights and experiences in our foster houses, and our hosts shared their observations and opinions about the volunteers. I was touched that Love specifically told the group how I was helping around the house. (in the photo you see her speaking, and on the floor is JR)

We started our trek back. It was still raining so the road was more slippery than the day before. There were ‘casualties’ again this time (read: people who slipped on slippery slippers), which includes me… two times at that!! When we reached Pagsiko (I was again among the last), another horrifying jeep ride was waiting for us.

1pm
Our panicky screams again filled the jeep as we passed through waist-deep soft mud almost half of the trip. We stopped over at the river for a soothing wash of our muddy shoes and pants.

Not after being tumbled and tossed in the jeep, we finally saw a glimpse of Antipolo Church again. We had a takeout lunch and freshening up, before proceeding to the DLSZ van (were we so relieved to see Kuya Robert!), but I joined the group only until Guadalupe.

When I was walking up to the MRT, I came across a small puddle of mud, and it instantly caused me to freeze in my tracks! Then I realized that I was no longer in Canumay, but in EDSA. Every muscle in my body hurt while I tried to go up each step to the station, then I remembered one of the thoughts raised in the processing that morning – that we from Metro Manila are no different from them in Canumay, that we all go through our respective difficulties everyday of our lives. It does not follow that we from Metro Manila are ‘better off’ than them in all aspects -- it’s more on how much we value what we have, such as our family, our neighbors, having a dignified source of income. Given their simple lives, they welcomed us wholeheartedly into their homes, offered us whatever they had, went out of their way to accommodate us. The short time that I spent with the people of Canumay taught me to go back to basics, to give up a few conveniences, to cherish conversations, to exercise by walking, to enjoy nature… things that I would normally ignore in my fast-paced routine in Metro Manila. But in Canumay, these are treasures. As we attempted to sing as an offering (but dismally failed!) to our foster parents during the processing activity…

Thank you for teaching me how to love
Showing me what the world means
What I've been dreamin' of
And now I know, there is nothing
that I could not do, Thanks to you

For teaching me how to feel
Showing me my emotions
Letting me know what's real from what is not
What I've got is more that I'd ever hoped for
And a lot of what I hope for is
Thanks to you

No mountain, no valley
No time, no space
No heartache, no heartbreak
No fall from grace
Can stop me from believing
That my love will pull me through
Thanks to You

For teaching me how to live
Putting things in perspective
Showing me how to give and how to take
No mistake we were put here together
And if I breakdown forgive me but it's true
That I'm aching with the love I feel inside
Thanks to you, Thanks to you

(Thanks to you by Tyler Collins)

surfing 101

2006-10-13T10:27:00.000+08:00

Sunburn on my shoulders courtesy of a beach trip to Zambales on October 7, 2006! Last minute decision to join MTIA boys. The drive was faaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrr, but the view was worth it! A surfing paradise north of Manila guys.. if you can, go check it out.

Ok, ok, I failed miserably in my lessons, given so patiently by surfer dude JC, but who cares! Unlike some people out there who were able to sustain a wave for a few seconds (congrats po!! caught that on photo!) At least I was able to HOLD a genuine body board and surfboard hehe.
Thanks to everyone who made it memorable! You were a lot of fun! Till the next one..

i learned something (yesterday)…

2006-09-21T16:59:00.000+08:00

…and I had to time to write about it only today. That you don’t take diatabs (or any other medicine for LBM) twice within 8 hours, or you’ll get constipated for who-knows-how-many-days.
Before you go “eeeww,” I hope you pick this up because it’s healthy advice. Generally, I have good toilet habits (as in everyday) and you could imagine how upset I was when I had LBM yesterday early morning (from I don’t know where). Aside from the hassle of going to the bathroom every so often, I had to worry about emergencies during my trip to school, and the pain too. So I took this reliable little tablet at 530 am, but it caught up with me again at around 10am! So I asked our school doctor if she can give me another one, and she gives me the advice I quoted above. Neither can she do anything for the “hilab ng tyan,” but she affirmed by decision to buy and take lots of Gatorade for rehydration. So I didn’t take another tablet.
That was yesterday.. can you guess what’s happening to me today?? Now for somebody like me, that’s eeeewww!!

Little rants and raves

2006-09-14T15:35:00.000+08:00

Boos!

I have a pimple!!! On my forehead!! It has been years since I last had a very visible pimple, and I know that this was caused by my super hectic sked and not being able to wash my face before literally falling asleep on the sofa. It’s slowly growing bigger, and it’s being hit by my hair.. which I know irritates it more.
Exams in UP are coming up!!! (at least in my two subjects) Oh no!! Review na, review na! May papers due pa.. waaaaaaahhh!!!
It’s a bit hard to be coordinating the Lourdes training program! Nakakaloka!!
I still cannot find regular time for my “sacredhalfhour..” *sniff*
After so many years, we were again besieged by floodwaters inside our house, knee-deep at that! Minor casualties were the sofas (but never mind, I still manage to sleep on them mindless of the smell everytime I am dead tired!)

Yays!

We saw Monster House. It’s not a great movie, but it was worth it, I mean being busy in the office forever, I deserve a breather in the middle of the week.
It’s almost the weekend.. It’s almost September 24 *wink, wink* I’m quite excited actually. That’ll be the start of it all..
My friends Dons and Jun are proud parents! Woohoo! Congrats. Actually my friend Imee, too.
I saw my California-based tita-ninang after sooooo many years (my dad’s second cousin), and guess where.. during my lola’s 99th birthday! Now that’s definitely something to rave about!
After many years, I have made contact again with an estranged friend from 6 years ago, and my closest second cousin. Haaay.. sarap ng feeling..
My high school best friend has come back from a successful volunteer trip in Canada. She celebrated her birthday, too (although I still have her gift with me – rant)

5th

2006-07-18T13:04:00.000+08:00

The France-Italy finals fell on a day that was quite special for both of us, so Randy made reservations at Vivere Skyline (thanks Donna, for the recommendation! It was really romantic! Luckily, I wore a dress that day, just like you said I should if I went there). The view was fantastic from the top!.. Southsuper, Alabang-Zapote Rd., Metropolis, and ATC!) I absolutely loved the food, I even got a cute toy (Randy and I could not agree on what it is…) from ordering the drink of the day. The service was also very pleasant.

We went down to the lobby at around 930pm, and went up again at around 1230am to get good seats for the game. As other guests started arriving an hour later, we of course took more pix! Once again, I experienced the thrill amongst football fanatics, and I was happy to see that Randy was genuinely enjoying himself.

And then it happened.. the infamous headbutt. Italy fans rejoiced, France fans were dejected (Randy included), but the issue was far from over. However, we had to leave because it was already Monday 6am, and we both had to go to work, smelling of smoke and without proper sleep. I was asleep half the time in the office that day, but I was happy. We even saw each other again that night to continue our “celebration”...

I was grateful to Randy for making all the special arrangements that night at Vivere.. and for letting me into “his” world…I wanted to know more about his interests as I possibly could, and it surprised me that football was not so bad after all. He said that it was not as popular as basketball here in the Philippines because our influences were mostly American and not European, and that were used to the run-and-gun game of basketball, and not yet as patient as a long game like football. No matter, basketball and football are both sports that bring together fans young and old, male and female, Filipino and other nationalities.. that even if there were losers and winners, the experience of playing the game (and watching) would be worth more lessons than anything.

sports blog

2006-07-18T12:53:00.000+08:00

I'm not exactly a sporty type of person. One can hardly get me into a regular exercise regimen (not even Randy!! ..probably owing to my thyroid problem), and the last time I remember was PE II in UP!! However, I enjoy almost all sports as a spectator.

Basketball
I was into PBA during the height of its popularity, and my team was… you guessed it…Ginebra! Although the last time I really watched it every night was circa Bal David-Marlou Aquino. I’m getting the hang of basketball again now, because of my students competing in the UAAP and WNCAA!! We were in Araneta during the Juniors’ championship last year, where DLSZ won for the first time ever! (But Atkins lost the MVP-ship to a UPIS guy…boo!) I also try my best to watch my students (boys and girls) playing in different events and in cheerdancing.

Imagine my former students now playing for my alma mater! One of my best-loved Jr.C advisory students is now part of the women’s team in UP! Since La Salle was banned from Season 69, three of the members of last year’s champion team are now playing for UP Seniors, too. I must say they are given the breaks they deserve. I have started to become their fans! Let’s all go to their games to show our support!

Football
Not the football played in America! (which Randy so disgustedly points out!) It was only this year that I had the chance to really appreciate soccer (as some people call it). It was Randy’s “fault” actually. He is such a huge fan, that he says if he were born in another country, he would’ve been a professional football player in Europe. When my 2nd cousin who was also my student was still in high school, he was also part of the soccer team, but I watched him sometimes only.

When my cousin and his family visited from the States a few weeks ago, his Puerto Rican wife asked about standings of the FIFA World Cup, and Randy updated her. I realized that it was such a fad in other countries! Besides, the World Cup was “the most coveted cup” that happened only every four years. She was rooting for Mexico then. (in the photo, she and my cousin are at the back of my pamangkins)

Randy took me to National Sports Grill on June 30 to see the Germany-Argentina game. I thought I would sleep through it (because it would be waaaay past my bedtime, hehe), but I was wrong! The crowd of football fans was so fired up, that I felt tired only after the game ended at past 3am.

Two days after, I watched the replay of the Brazil-France game (Randy loved both teams!), where I saw for myself how amazingly talented Zidane was (and verrrrry cute, too)! As is known by now, France beat Brazil and went on to the finals, which Randy made sure we were going to watch live! (the next part deserves another entry :-))...

in loving memory of ruff

2006-07-17T08:39:00.000+08:00

Typhoon Florita will always be memorable to me, because just as most of our fellow Filipinos in Northern Luzon were losing their property, my family lost a dear loved one… our dog for 13 years, Ruff.

Ruff was no special breed; he was an askal with the features of a golden retriever. My soon-to-be brother-in-law gave him to us in the summer of 1993. My sisters and I were so fond of him that we even invented terms that referred to him:
Jelly-jelly: the soft part right under his nose
“Lap-lap” : the sound he makes when he drinks from his dish
“EB” : short for “et-baet” which is further short for “baet-baet” which is what he is when he does not struggle loose when we hold him

He used to stay inside the house, until my first nephew was born, afterwhich my parents constructed a small shed for him in our wash area. He can move freely around it, but my mom also took him for a walk every morning minus a leash, since she was sure that Ruff will never wander away. But when she lost sight of him one day, we were so depressed when he did not show up for 24 hours! The following morning though, my mom heard scratching on our gate, and there was Ruff! She let him in, and he headed straight to the room where my sisters and I slept, and announced his presence! When we saw cuts and bruises around his jaw, we deduced that he was caught and gagged to be sold (or maybe killed and cooked!), but he freed himself and found his way back home to us! He endeared himself to us even more after that!

Ruff’s morning walks became less regular after that, though he had the chance to go out across the street during the yearly inoculation sponsored by the barangay, where he met other dogs in the neighborhood. (He even had a “book,” just like babies for their monthly checkup!) We just contented ourselves with teaching him tricks at the back of our house. He learned to jump at pieces of bread thrown at him, stand on two legs when the bread was held too high, and put his paw onto our outstretched palm at the command “shake!” He also loved being tickled on his belly! But what he couldn’t stand was the sound of firecrackers on new year’s eve! Every year, my parents would give him a bath so he could be tied up in a cozy spot inside the house until the explosions faded.

My sisters married and moved out, but Ruff stayed with us. Every time they came over, he would bark excitedly. (Actually, he would do that every time my mom came home from work, which means he would be given his dinner after a whole day of being left alone in the house.) My nephews have grown fond of him as well and have even called him “Good friend Ruff.”

So, it was sort of far from my mind that Ruff should start manifesting signs of old age: he cannot jump for bread, or see or sniff his food in the dark anymore. Furthermore, I was not quite sure how it happened, but he developed a nasty wound in his groin area, which at that age, would hardly heal anymore. My parents took turns in giving him antibiotics and treating the wound, which luckily, dried up soon after. However, one night, Randy and I were the first to reach home, and found him immobile beside his shed. It turned out that his hind legs were trapped on his platform, and he got soaked in the rain that day! We immediately removed the entangled wood, but when he still didn’t get up, I was worried that he was going to die then.

I saw him walking the next morning, but my mom said his legs were getting weaker. A few weeks after, he was no longer walking and started losing his appetite. On hindsight, I heard him whimpering the past nights because he wanted to shift position or eat, but couldn’t. My parents had to move him and clean up after him because he pooped and peed where he actually lay down! Poor Ruff… my heart bleeds…

On Tuesday, July 11, 2006, when I called home before leaving the office, my mom broke to me the sad news… Ruff had died… my dad discovered when he was about to give him some bread. When Randy and I came home that night, we went to his spot at the back of the house, and true enough, he was no longer there… We sat on the stairs and I wept…. I sobbed and Randy comforted me…

That night I was in my room, which was above Ruff’s shed, but it was eerie knowing that he was not there anymore. It was raining, and before I knew it, I was crying again… that I would no longer see his face pop up on our kitchen screen door, that I would no longer hear his panting and “footsteps,” that I would no longer smell his “doggy smell” (which I like, by the way), I would no longer be able to stroke his brown fur or hold his paw… I was very sad… I was crying because he knew that it was best that he left before the typhoon came… because he would get wet, be more sick, and he would not want to cause more trouble for everybody… I was very sad because he was helpless when he died… not even on all four legs, but down… as though beaten hard by a long-fought battle… I was so sad… so, so sad… our doggy…our Ruff… gone…forever…
I have cried other times for Ruff since then. Now, I try to look at his demise as a wake up call to move on, a challenge to be strong… after all, he has lived a full life… most of all, I look at it as a reminder that everyone around us has a role to play in our lives, they are there for a reason… God sent them to us to tell us that He loves us… and that we should always seize the chance to tell them that we love them… and not just in words… but in genuine actions, too...

sick sick sick sick

2006-06-06T09:35:00.000+08:00

i hope nobody else out there is presently sick like me.. i've had this very bad cold since..forever! anyone who knows me would know that i was born with colds. it's not like an allergy or something, it's just that probably, i don't know how to take care of myself that well. i've always had little colds, itty-bitty colds, big colds sometimes that last for weeks, but nothing like this wherein, for the very first time, i was so scared to experience a super headache, that everytime i blew my nose, there'd be a killer pain in my head!! as in. but how can i not blow my nose?? and there were times when i couldn't breathe, i thought i was going to die from lack of air! no kidding. this was the first time. then it developed into a cough with sticky phlegm (i know, i know, i have to go easy on the details, but i just want to describe it as vividly as possible..)

what a way to start the school year. classes in our school will begin june 13, and as much as possible, i want to enjoy the rest of my vacation, or at least grant my body total bedrest. i'm about to enroll in up also, and 1st sem classes will start next week too. my last hurrah for the summer break.. i'd like to share my other adventures after my bicol trip..

May 13, 2006. In spite of the bagyo in Metro Manila and Southern Luzon, our office proceeded to Laguna for our scheduled outing-cum-birthday celebration for 2 of our loved ones. When we reached Monte Vista in Pansol, we were surprised to see that it was overflowing with people!!

When we went home that night, we wished the mommies in our group a Happy Mothers' Day. The following day, it was my mom and Randy's mom. Thanks for all your patience and care.

May 20-21, 2006. Randy's family always goes somewhere for summer. This year we went to Bataan. His sister's friend has a cottage near the beach, and we occupied it for 2 days.

See the big rocks at the corner of the picture? I was amazed when I woke up at around 1am, went to the beach, and found that there were more and bigger rocks exposed because of the low low tide! The edge of the water was like 50 meters away from where it is seen in the photo.

Enough of my escapades for the summer. By the way, we just went to the school doctor, (all of us in the office have the same condition already!) and she prescribed us with antibiotics! That's how bad our viruses are! And, I learned this only today.. it's bad to blow your nose!! What the?? It's because she said it was going against the "normal flow" of the mucus! So that's why the eardrums are getting affected already from the constant blowing (aside from the sugat-sugat noses!). So I asked her what's to be done. You'll never guess what she said.. (wanna know? ask your own doctors, or me..)

Day 2 in Albay: goodbye hotsprings, hello clouds!

2006-05-22T10:54:00.000+08:00

It was another long day ahead. After checking out from and having breakfast at the inn, our ever efficient tourguide picked us up to take us to Tiwi, another town in Legazpi. We barely made the 10am mass in St. Lawrence Parish, and when we entered, it was being said in Bicolano! Anyway… (in the pic, there I am right at the entrance!)

Our guide proudly took us to the geothermal plant, which supplied energy to the entire town. It was a breathtaking sight. Then we looked for the supposedly renowned hot springs, and when we found it, the manang was quick to save us the trouble and told us at the entrance, “Baka po hinahanap nyo yung hot spring, wala na po.” We were surprised, but she explained that the geothermal plant has sort of taken all the energy from the springs for around 10 years already. Too bad..

However, Randy read somewhere that Tiwi was famous for halo-halo, so we searched the town plaza for the best place. Tia Lyd’s (since 1958) was a blast, as in! Aside from the grated cheese you see under the big chunk of leche flan, it has…tadaaH! small mango cubes among the other regular ingredients! Ang sarap!

We decided to postpone our lunch until we got back to Legazpi, so we proceeded immediately to Mayon Resthouse, which was halfway up the mountain. Needless to say, malayo sya, paakyat pa! But, the view was spectacular! There was an abandoned inn, a planetarium, a place where you can buy plants and flowers, and a place where you can pray the rosary. The clouds that we saw so high up from the foot of the mountain were like so within our reach in that altitude (as you will see in the picture with the big cross, that’s us so small).

Something else made our trip memorable.. on our way down from the resthouse, our tricycle lost its brakes! As in! They wore out during the long trip up the mountain. Although Kuya Dan did not have extra tools (as he did not foresee this), he resourcefully fixed it and sent us safely down to the bayan.

We did not have time to have a decent lunch, because our bus trip back to Quezon City was 6pm. We quickly dropped by the palengke for pasalubong of pili nuts, visited Kuya Dan’s house to get our bags, and proceeded to the terminal for last minute pancit. We reached Cubao at 6am of May1.

Some tips/lessons (from my own experience):
1. Choose the ‘better’ bus lines that stop at airconditioned eating places that have clean restrooms that do NOT ask for maintenance donations. Yup, get what I mean?
2. If possible, take one day trip, and one night trip, so you’ll have the chance to see the sights along the way.
3. Try to ask reliable friends for the good lodging places, of course we have to take care of our reputations. After all, there are cheap but cozy accommodations around.
4. While it will be convenient to have a service (and tourguide and picture taker at the same time), it will also be fun to discover the different ways to commute around town by yourselves.

Anyone else with Bicol adventures they want to share?

Day1 in Albay: goodbye pouch, hello ring!

2006-05-09T13:02:00.000+08:00

We reached Albay just as the day was about to break..the silhouette of majestic Mayon against the morning light almost moved me to tears! I turned to the person beside me to share my emotions -- but Randy was zzZzZzz.. after all, he came straight from work the night before. After settling in a cozy inn (which was recommended by exactly the same group who did the fieldwork there in 1998!), taking a nap, freshening up, and having breakfast, we were taken by our guide to Cagsawa,
the famous church and bell tower which was reduced to ruins during an eruption in February 1814. The full view of the volcano was awesome, partly because there were not much clouds that day.
From one of the souvenir shops, I got a free cell phone pouch (I was so excited because “I love Bicol” was printed on it! You will see it encircled in the photo) for buying 3 sandos for my nephews. We used it for my digicam, but unfortunately, we lost it after around 5 hours in a beach. Huhuhu..

Our guide then took us to Albay Parks and Wildlife, where we took more pictures in the lagoon area and with the animals. This was where I saw for the first time a bird called
bleeding heart pigeon, which can be found only in the Philippines! Check out why (zoom the picture and be amazed!) After a hot and tiring tour, we had late lunch at…tadaaah --- Jollibee Rizal Street! Miss ko kagad ube keso special eh..

We went back to the inn to get swim stuff, and proceeded to Sto. Domingo, a coastal town rather far from Legazpi, where we scouted for a nice resort. The beaches had dark sand, which was typical of areas with volcanoes.

It was almost dark when we went back to the inn. After resting a bit, we went out again at 7pm for dinner. Randy had in mind a somewhat special place, the resto in Hotel Venezia. Kami lang ang andun the whole time! It was a memorable dinner for both of us, for me especially. It was sort of the culmination of a lot of Randy's hard work for the past few months.

So ends our first day in Albay. Watch out for the next part of this blog about this trip..

daragang magayon

2006-05-05T11:12:00.000+08:00

MAYON...not the street next to where I've lived my entire life (hehe)..but the breathtaking (almost) perfect cone volcano in Albay..

When I was a project research assistant fresh from college circa 1998, I was thankful to have been given the chance to conduct fieldwork in almost all the provinces in Luzon (as in yes, I was able to go to almost all, from Ilocos Norte, to Masbate, to Ifugao, and even to the very near province of Rizal! Batanes was out of the question because it was rather expensive and a bit risky.) However, my frustration was Region 5..another group was assigned there.

Randy and I vowed that we will go to Bicol ourselves, if only to see the lovely Mayon. During the long weekend of April 28-May 1, he made my long-time wish come true.

Two days before the scheduled trip, I was texting everyone about recommended accommodations and must-sees in the area. Many people replied (thanks Malu, Ricky, Glads, Sir Arnel, Nadj, Iyee, Mon, Rich, everyone!! Although I didn't get to go to all places you mentioned), but Ms. Angie turned out to be our lifesaver! She gave me her sister's number, whose husband incidentally owned a tricycle in Legazpi. He became our tourguide/service/picturetaker for our entire stay there.

We took the night trip from Cubao, and normally, as all my friends could attest to, I am semi-narcoleptic (if there's such a disorder!), meaning, I fall asleep almost on any surface, in any position, at any weather, at any time of any day in any place, almost instantly, very deeply, without dreams, sometimes with snores, even if it's just as short as a ride from Mabuhay Rotonda to our house, or even in the MRT while standing up! no kidding. This trip was different, though.. I found myself waking up every half hour or so! Talk about excitement!

I hope I do justice to the trip as I try my best to describe it here...

A neophyte among experts

2006-04-20T10:55:00.000+08:00

Have you ever felt as if you were lost in a vast sea, not knowing where to hold on to?

That was how I felt when I attended iBlog2: The 2nd Philippine Blogging Summit in UP Diliman on April 18, 2006. Everyone around me was like, a true-blue blogger! Good thing I was so interested in the topic that I kept my attention to the speakers and stayed until the very last minute, even if they were all talking alien things (at least to me..)

The 1st keynote speaker, Ms. Rebecca McKinnon of Global Voices, started her address by asking the group how many have blogs, or are interested in blogs. That absolutely made me feel at ease, that I can attend this summit alongside the experts, solely because of my interest, and the fact that I keep a blog (no matter that it is only 2 days old!) Ms. McKinnon's talk focused mainly on how she found blogs important in her job as a (former) CNN correspondent, especially post-9/11. She said that "a blog is more powerful than a webpage," citing a Baghdad blogger who had conflicting feelings about hating Saddam but upset that his country was being attacked, CNN blogger Kevin Sites, and an Iranian guy who published instructions in his blog in Persian to create blogspot accounts.

She also said that audience nowadays want talk back. Bloggers can easily notice if journalists publish wrong information or do not cover events that they think are important. She also said that blogs play 3 different functions: (1) as cafes, where people meet and communicate; (2) as windows, where other people can see other worlds; and (3) as bridges, where people translate their blogs to different languages in order to reach more people.

Another issue she mentioned was that of digital divide, where she said that bloggers who claim that they represent the grassroots, actually do not, because blogging is still elite-dominated, who have computers, internet access, and time to blog.

The Media Blogging track of the summit after the afternoon break pretty much expounded on the same ideas as in Ms. McKinnon's keynote address. Ms. Ellen Tordesillas, a veteran journalist, shared her experiences in using underground blogs to get more information for her articles, especially since they contain inside tips that she can use for her commentaries.

Mr. Erwin Oliva of INQ7 also showed examples of blogs that provided him with stories. He said that bloggers are also being hired by journalists for content, and that blogging has leveled the playing field for all broadcast media, citing the example of an ordinary blogger who was first to publish vidoes of the tsunami in Thailand.

I was in the summit the whole day, and to say that I learned a lot and enjoyed myself is an understatement. After all, I won a globelines broadband kit in the raffle before the day ended!

6750 whoa!

2006-04-17T14:25:00.000+08:00

"Seminar on blogging??"
When I was offered one of the slots to this seminar, my first thought was "bummer..." since it would be held right after the Holy Week when we should have been on summer break already. However, it occurred to me that it would be interesting, since I know very little about it practically. Besides, my boss said it would come in handy in our line of work...assessment ---journal writing and all that.

In the Microsoft office on the 16th floor of the 6750 building (with the Starbucks under it, whoa!), Flu, Shiela, and I were warmly received by the people from digitalfilipino.com. From the minute we were given a brief introduction on 'Blogging 101' by Ms. Toral (she showed us different personal and professional blog sites), to the orientation on a 'Safe and Legal Digital World' by the BSA (there were at least 5 ways to commit software piracy, and you can actually be fined and imprisoned!), to the 'awarding' of our school's trophy and medals, the whole morning was quite interesting.

I am definitely looking forward to sharing more of my knowledge from this seminar (to people who are interested, that is..).