Afternoon Delight

The past two weeks went by like a blur. But scrunched between farewell parties and goodbye talks was an afternoon spent outdoors under a clear, blue sky! I was supposed to go through old magazines, taking down names of people I've worked with as well as taking note of photographs I liked for this "thank you" page that we're preparing. But somehow, the thought of going down memory lane inside my cubicle seemed a bit heartbreaking. So when I found out that B and E were going to have a photo shoot at the Manila Polo Club, I invited myself to the occasion, lugging all those volumes of past issues with me.







I miss being outdoors. That's us enjoying the sunshine; and yes, those are volumes and volumes of old magazine issues strewn over the grass. I made myself a virtual office of sorts. L told me to check out the Ayala Triangle Gardens as well. It's supposedly a lovely piece of green where you can find a spot to write under the trees. Got to check that out!








The afternoon became a reunion of sorts as our former food editor M was there with her beautiful daughter. M, whatever happened to the Mamma Mia dinner you said you were going to throw? Hint, hint :)







E feeling athletic with one of our favorite photographers D. When M saw E, she said, "I'm disappointed with your outfit," taking note that E always dresses for the occasion. Somehow though, I cannot imagine E in a football jersey.





E in something like the coach's outfit? Nah!!






It was a good day :)

Freedom

When my son K was about eight years old, he asked me this question, "Mom, when are you going to give me my freedom?" Whoa! What a question to ask by an eight-year-old, I thought. I kind of freaked out, actually. What did he mean? Did he think that he was beholden to me or something? But I suppose, when you're eight and your mom is always telling you to brush your teeth, eat your vegetables, and sleep at nine o'clock, you kind of feel constrained.

When my mom found out about the freedom question, he asked my son K, "When are you going to give your Mom her freedom?" Mwahahaha And from then on, my son K would forever be teased about his freedom question.

I tell you this because K recently celebrated his 13th birthday, a responsible 13. Of all my kids, he seems to be the one who was born to respect rules. He also seems to be the most introspective. Here's another one of his fascinating observations. Hanging out with baby S one day, I said, "I want to be a baby. I want to just sleep all day." K said, "But Mom, you'll be so helpless!" That's another whoa! So I just said, "That's what moms are there for, to take care of babies."

Happy birthday K! Mwah!

Boys

My house has been invaded by a bunch of lanky, pimply, low-voiced adolescent boys. My son S's friends, they are a polite bunch, greeting me a "Good morning po" when I came out of my bedroom still half-wrinkled from sleep.

Boys, they're different. I have three sisters so I don't know how it is to grow up with boys. So when my sons started growing like weeds, I started having panic attacks. What do I know about boys? How do I raise a boy when I'm a girl? How do I provide them with male role models? But like my mom always says, take it one step a time. Take it slow, you'll figure out what to do and I did, eventually.

My boys are all in their teens now, and they are a kindhearted bunch. And though they are sometimes lazy, I cannot complain. There are far worse things than them not wanting to clean their room.

And so, here I am cooking clam soup and picadillos for my son S and his friends. I call them to eat, but they are too shy to approach the table. I exit to give them room and eventually, I hear the clanking of forks and spoons and the happy noise of boys eating and laughing and talking. Boys! :)




Friends, Cliques & Gangs:
How To Relate To Your Child's Friends

Malapascua

I thought I was going to die. There I was in the middle of the raging sea, in a little dinghy of a boat and I realized, quite belatedly, that I had first-class seats to a brewing disaster.

It was typhoon season, possibly the worst time to attempt a sea crossing from Maya to Malapascua. But from the wharf, I could already get a glimpse of this island paradise. I could almost taste its salt-sea water, and see its pearly white sands. Besides, we had been traveling for most of the day. From Manila, we had taken a plane to Cebu, then a taxi to the North Terminal, and then five hours on a speeding bus to Maya (at one point, we actually thought we were going to die in a spectacular vehicular accident; the bus driver was such a daredevil!). The 30-minute ferry ride was the last obstacle, and I wasn't about to spend a night at the Last Chance Hotel.

When the bangkeros told me that there weren't any boats who wanted to cross, I did not believe them. When I saw one boat getting ready to leave, I made a deal with its captain who allowed me and my friends to go with them. It turned out to be a rollercoaster of a ride. I saw waves the size of houses. I tried to keep my cool, pointing out exotic-looking birds to E, but inside I was scared shitless. I did not want to die so close to paradise.








I first learned of Malapascua from a Lonely Planet guide book. It heralded this little sliver of an island off Cebu as the new Boracay. As Boracay had become woefully crowded, I set my sights on Malapascua. The fact that the island had no electricity intrigued me all the more. There is something oh-so romantic about being stuck in the middle of nowhere.

It's not the destination, they say, but the journey that matters. In Malapascua's case, it's hard to say which was the more exciting: getting there or being there. You be the judge.








This is how the island looked like when we first set foot on it; winds howling under an overcast sky. The resort owner, upon seeing us check in, was totally surprised. The hour was so late that he did not expect us to make the crossing. But because of ignorance more than bravery, there we were. Really, if I had known that the waves would be that bad, I wouldn't have gone into that damn boat!







Fortunately, the sun came up the next day :) Look at that sand! Look at that sky! Look at that water!







Walking along the shore, I chanced upon a family picking sea urchins for lunch. They invited me for a bite, and I did not hesitate. It tasted like summer :)








One of Malapascua's many lovely coves. It is here, if I remember right, where you could do some night diving and catch a glimpse of some colorful fishes.








Okay, I did not go diving hehe This is a mural from the resort we slept in. Fooled you!








This entry is for L, who is visiting Malapascua in a few days. Enjoy!

What I'll Miss Most

In two weeks, I shall join the ranks of the entrepreneurial self-employed, and I am thrilled at the prospect of what awaits me in the "outside" world.

I've been with Good Housekeeping forever it seems: first writing features and cover stories before becoming home and family editor, and eventually, editor in chief. It was a privilege to reach out to all these women who were experiencing the same joys and pains as I was. But after four and something years, I said to myself, it's time to move on. It's time to challenge my comfort zone, like we always tell our readers. It's time to be fearless and fly free!

And so, two weeks from deadline, I am thinking of all the things that I'll miss in Summit.

I will miss building and rebuilding words and paragraphs to make them sing. I will miss the thrill of working on a cover, going through every line and every color. I will miss my staff; working, learning, eating, and laughing with them.

I will miss long talks with B, hugs from M, chika time with M, okray-fests with R, baby chats with F, duets with Z, catchup time with A, "breakup" time with E, and Chabi and choco crunchies with M and I at our old office.

I will miss Thursday karaoke nights, impromptu beer nights, "cake and chika," the playlists of B-Side, Perdido Street Station, Allan H's Library, Rock Like You Mean It (I don't know who you guys are, well, except for A, but thank you for keeping me sane), merienda at Munchbox, and the view from my cubicle, especially at night.

But what I'll miss most is the noise.

Writing, editing: these are solitary occupations and sometimes, you need jolts of distraction to pull you from out of your screen and into the real world. I will miss the sudden bursts of laughter, the clickity-clack of four-inch heels, the guys playing the newest video game, and the crackling noise of somebody opening a pack of chips and trying hard to hide it. Sometimes, I get annoyed when somebody suddenly breaks the silence of my thoughts. But really, I welcome the entertainment.

There are many things that I will miss but one thing I won't miss is GH because it will always be in my heart.

Feeling Etsy

A few weeks ago, I started making these harness chain necklaces for my daughter's online shop (That's the button on your right, and yes, that's her, posing hehe). And now, here they are photographed and all, and uploaded to boot. Check them out! :)

Beat Them!!

My kids don't like playing video games with me; I am too loud. I get all excited and scream and shout. "Ma, the neighbors can hear you," they'll say. My boys, on the other hand, are very calm and cool; maybe because they always win! Always!

And so, to further my education, I surfed the Web and found this cool video. It is terribly funny! I watched it with my son K so, I don't think I'll be able to use these tips on him Mwahahaha!

Enjoy Sunday!


Video Game Culture:
How To Beat Your Children At Computer Games

Brainwashing

It's a beautiful Saturday morning and while her mommy is sound asleep, I grab Baby S and go dancing with her. I am playing a Tears for Fears CD (Yes, I still have a lot of those) and we are just dancing and dancing to Shout, Change, and Pale Shelter. Call it my brand of brainwashing but it is absolutely necessary that she has more on her baby brain playlist than Baby Mozart and Taylor Swift.





I've done the same thing to my sons and daughter, singing The Doors' Riders on the Storm and the Eraserheads' Wishing Wells in just the same way that my parents inundated my brain with David Benoit and Burt Bacharach.

And so, on this beautiful Saturday morning, let's dance!

The Challenge

Do you know kids?

I just watched this most interesting video. One hundred Filipino children were given money to spend as they see fit in this store full of goodies. There were toys, school supplies, and food. There was also a stand where they can donate to charity. You'd think that the kids will just blow away all their money on toys, right? Wrong! 99 out of the hundred saved most of what they were given, saying that they'll either just put it in the bank or give it to their parents to pay for school or household expenses.

One of the things that I found interesting about the video is how conscious those children are about saving. My kids are the same. When they were little, I opened savings accounts for each of them. This habit was further reinforced by my mother, who would deposit a certain amount on their accounts for when they grow up. I sometimes think that my kids have more money in the bank than I do.

When the moms were told about how their kids fared, they were truly touched, just as I was. Children have hearts of gold, and this experiment proves it. And while they seem to be wrapped up in their own world of friends, school, music, sports, and computer games, children know what's happening around them. They feel everything.

Corn

People who know me know how much I love eating corn. Next to bell pepper, corn is always on my grocery list. Whether it's on the cob or in kernels, I just have to have it. And I use it whenever, wherever. The ones on the cob I usually boil till soft and tender to serve with butter and a bit of salt. The whole kernels my daughter E and I eat, sometimes straight off the can (Yes!), sometimes with lots of butter.

And of course, I've made a whole slew of recipes in which I can slather on some corn. I have my Veggie Pasta with white sauce, corn kernels, carrots, and bell peppers. The kids, being meat lovers, didn't take to this too well. I have my Chicken Pasta with chicken chunks, corn kernels, and onions in creamy white sauce. And I have my Chicken Pickle, it's a takeoff from my Mom's recipe but this time, I put in lots of pickles, potatoes, and corn kernels. Yes, whenever I get the chance, I have to pour some of those yellow jewels in there.

I don't know why I like corn so much, maybe because it brings back a lot of good memories; foremost of which is that time I spent at my grandparents' house when I was in grade school. For some reason or another, I had to study at the University of the East in Caloocan City. For a child raised in the suburbs, the mean city streets of Caloocan presented a whole new world. And for 10 months, I lived and breathed its gritty splendor. My Lola Saleng and I would walk from their house all the way to school in the mornings. And in the afternoons, my Lolo would bring me to this carinderia where he'd order some kind of kakanin and maiz con hielo. It was love at first bite! And from then on, I looked forward to these trips with my Lolo as he introduced me to all sorts of street food: tira-tira, fish balls, cornik. It was exciting.

I hardly think of Lolo now, but maybe my love for corn is his way of, well, staying around.

And so, here, my all-time favorite corn recipe: Minais na Halaan (clam soup with corn)
1. Wash off 1 kilo clams; make sure it's nice and clean and free of sand and other whatnots.
2. Grate finely 2 pieces medium corn; the ripe yellow ones. I prefer the white ones but they're not so easy to find at the market.
3. Slice a small piece of ginger into strips. Slice a medium-sized onion. Slice a small bell pepper into strips. Take a bunch of dahon ng sili; tear off the leaves.
4. Saute ginger and onions. Stir in clams. Toss in grated corn then pour in about 3 cups water.
5. Let boil. When clams open up, throw in the peppers and sili leaves. Season to taste. Simmer. Enjoy!

The Things We Do

corn, originally uploaded by jenniferwrites.

Tonight, after work, I had to rush to the supermarket. You know how teachers ask their students to bring random sort of items as their assignment the next day? Well, tonight was such a night. My son K was asked to bring some sort of medicinal plant; he was thinking either aloe vera or oregano. And my other son S was asked to bring, of all things, yeast! I wonder, are they doing any kind of baking?

I've gone through such last-minute errands for years. I have been asked, in no particular order, to get plastic fruits, marbles, all types of paper, all sorts of vegetables, popsicle sticks, and one time, even, a little wooden guitar. And I try to get these little items all the time. I remember how it was when I was little not to be able to finish an assignment or not to have those tube watercolors that I was supposed to bring and sit by a corner while my classmates came up with all sorts of cool paintings.

So, I suppose, I sometimes overcompensate. When my kids are asked to come to school in costume, for instance, I try to make those costumes myself. I didn't go for the store-bought kind. I wanted my kids to be original. But sometimes, I am sure, my kids would rather that I just buy stuff or just be safe.

It was Nutrition Month, and my daughter, who was then still in preschool, was asked to go to school with a head gear that represented some food group. Because I love corn, I decided to make her a crown of corns. I wound some corn in wires, decorated it with plastic leaves, and asked my daughter to wear it as a crown. Mwahahahaha What was I thinking?

When we arrived in school, we saw children wearing paper hats with fruits and vegetables drawn on them. Now why didn't I think of that? The crown was too heavy, and my daughter E ended up holding it during the parade. I am sure that she was having a hard time but she was smiling all the way. Mwahaha

At least she was original!

Lovely!

I'm doing vacation stories for our summer issue and reading these stories, looking at those photographs only makes me love the Philippines more. We have a lovely country; I won't get tired of saying it. So here, some random photos I stumbled upon while cleaning my notebook. Enjoy!




A beach in Palawan: this is already high tide. You have to walk and walk and walk before you get to waist-deep water. So from afar, you're like walking on water.





Mangoes!! I love ripe, yellow mangoes; so sweet! The ones from Guimaras are, yes, the absolute best but these babies weren't bad at all. This photograph was taken by D. We were at Sonya's Garden having a really sumptuous breakfast.





Sunset in Malapascua is virtually a spiritual experience. To get to this lighthouse, I had to ride at the back of a motorcycle to the other side of the island, and then climb up a hill. I think I scratched my legs but it was worth it!





My friend M just went up to Baguio and I hope he got to visit the BenCab Museum. It showcases the best of the Filipino. This particular piece, Bemused, is my favorite.





Sulyap Gallery and Cafe somewhere in Laguna: they serve yummy gambas. It's a restaurant housed in an ancestral home. The gallery is housed in an old school and it's filled with all manner of antique things from glassware to furniture. Lovely space!





Can't help but take a photograph. I love mirrors, although I was scared to death of watching the movie, "The Mirror." I found it too creepy.





Mating butterflies in Palawan. P doesn't like butterflies and she was somewhat freaked out when we found out that the tour involved a visit to the Butterfly Sanctuary. I think she stayed outside, I don't remember. What I do remember is walking in this garden and just being amazed at all these butterflies flitting in and out of our lives.





I love, love,love this photograph taken by B. We were in Boracay and had spent the day sleeping in the sand and drinking beer. I think this was the time when I was asked by this European guy to play some frisbee. I refused only to find out later that he was incredibly cute (I was not wearing my glasses). Note to self, always say YES!

Chill

Because of the wonders of 24-hour cable, I hardly get to watch free TV. I only found out about the getting-controversial-by-the-minute McDonald's "Tweens" TVC on the Internet. Some have expressed disappointment over the ad, others outright disgust. And while I totally respect their opinions, let's all just take a step back and chill.

You see, the reality is that at some point in their lives, our children are going to start pulling away from us. I know this because it has happened and is still happening to me right this very minute. And guess what? It's perfectly normal. My sons, for instance, walk behind me when we're at the mall. Apparently, they don't want their friends to see them with their mommy. And I totally get that. They want to be seen as independent, that they can stand on their own two feet. I respect that.

And while we may not want to acknowledge it, tween dating is a reality. It is happening and will continue to happen. And as parents, it's our duty to keep tabs on our sons and daughters, establish real and open relationships with them, and pray 24/7 that they remember the values we taught them while they were growing up.

Honestly, I don't see what all the fuss is about. It's a commercial. And we cannot expect a commercial to impart proper values to our children, that's our job. And while we may go on and on about how media is deteriorating our social values, the truth is, we have the power. We can always just turn the damn tube off!

Peace!

Down and Dirty: The Perils of Babysitting Part 2

And that's how Little S and I end up in the bathroom. While Little S is almost a year old, I have never had to do diaper duty, never had to deal with poo nor pee. I would look after her, sure, but the minute she gets anywhere near dirty, I pass her onto her mother. I mean, grannies are just supposed to spoil their grandkids, they're not supposed to get their hands dirty, right?

Well, I was wrong; I did get may hands dirty and more!

So we go into the bathroom and I start getting a bit flustered. My youngest son turns 13 in a couple of weeks. Needless to say, I have not taken care of poo and dirty diapers for more than a decade. So there we were: Little S crying because I'm pretty sure she can sense my tentativeness, and there was I trying to wash away the poo from her butt while willing myself not to inhale! It was a disaster!

When I was satisfied that everything was all clean, I gave her a big hug and carried her to the bedroom. It was only while I was putting Little S to sleep that I noticed a big patch of poo right smack on my left leg. And because Little S was tired, she slowly drifted into dreamland in my arms. I dared not budge. We both ended up sleeping, she in my arms, and me with a stinking patch of olive green poo.

Little S

The little cutie crawler smiling first thing in the morning :)

The Perils of Babysitting

I am babysitting Little S this morning. And because I stayed up till very late last night, I'm still a bit of out it. To help me stay awake, I put on a whiz-bang action movie, The Bourne Identity, on the tube. When you're babysitting an 11-month-old, you can't afford to blink. Little S is partially mobile now. She crawls all over the newly-waxed floors and stands herself up by grabbing onto the sofa. I don't want Little S bumping her head on anything so I am on security guard mode now.

But here's the thing with this baby: you give her all sorts of toys--shape sorters, rattles, teethers, matchboxes--and she ends up playing with the clothes iron (Don't ask me how she got her hands on it!). Granted it is pink, small, lightweight, and of course, not plugged into the socket, but really, why the iron? I take it away from her and she cries. I give her a rattle but she won't let go. Finally, she takes her hands off the iron after I give her a talking teddy bear.

Her fascination is only momentary. She throws the teddy away, grabs the iron back, and starts banging it on the floor. Uh oh! It is at this time that the security guard takes the iron away for safekeeping. Little S cries but the security guard pays no heed. No more Mr. Nice Guy. And that's when I smell the undeniable aroma of poo. Uh oh! I'd rather be a security guard than a wet nurse!! Nyak!

It Ain't Romantic

So it goes like this. We were going to do a series of stories on pregnancy. While brainstorming on the type of photographs to go with the stories, B suggested an expectant mother sitting on a rocking chair, by the window, in shades of pink. The maldita in me immediately blurted out, "But B, motherhood is not romantic!" When I saw the dumbfounded expression on her face, I knew I should have waited a little longer before bursting her expectant bubble. At the time, B so wanted to have a baby, six of them in fact. I shouldn't have told her the truth too soon.

I remember this episode now because my friend F is expecting her first child, and not having a very good time at it. She's waiting to feel all rhapsodic about this momentous event but how could she when she's nauseous half the time? Well, F, here's a taste of more things to come:

1. Your body will have a life of its own. Yes, for those precious nine months, your body will do things seemingly out of its own volition. You will barf at the sight of a once-favored snack. You will pass gas even if there's somebody looking. You will pee at each and every opportunity. And you will be as horny as hell in the homestretch.

2. You will be seen as a walking, talking teddy bear. And by this, I mean your friends would want to hug you, kiss you, touch your tummy. Their intentions are good; they're just sending you their love. But really, the concept of personal space just falls away when we're faced with a pregnant woman, I don't know why (Yes, I actually turned into one of them people because I wanted to hug you the minute I found out!).

3. You will hear all sorts of advice and folk tales. Don't believe the one about an expectant woman getting prettier when it's a girl, and getting ugly when it's a boy. It's just not true.

4. There will always be a couple of surprises along the way even if you take your vitamins diligently, sleep well, and eat properly.

5. Labor is hell!


And so you ask, after everything, after the 25 pounds you might eventually gain or the 24 hours you might eventually spend in labor, will it be worth it? Yes! Yes, absolutely! And that's not romance, that's love :)

Let There Be Light!

Because I'm a single mom, I have had to learn all sorts of Mr. Fix-It jobs. I can paint a wall and re-tile the floor. I can fix telephone lines, change faucets, chase after rats, and demolish ant hills. I can, in theory, do most of everything around the house and for that, I have my mom to thank. She raised me and my sisters to be doers. My sisters and I never thought ourselves damsels in distress, we were cowboys. If we wanted something done, we did it ourselves.

But of course, I cannot do everything ... when it comes to anything electric, I am just scared shitless. Perhaps it's all those cartoons I watched on Saturday afternoons when I was little. The thought of Sylvester the Cat being electrocuted while chasing Tweety Bird always comes to mind whenever I get near an electrical outlet.

And so for many, many months last year, I had no light in my bedroom. Yes, folks, 2010 came marching in with my bedroom still in the Dark Ages. It has something to do with a busted something which I had to buy and which I would have had to eventually install, which I did not do. And so, I relied on a desk lamp to keep me and my book of the month company at nights. When that desk lamp got busted, again for reasons that escape me, I didn't do anything. I felt comfortable enough in the dark to not want to see the light.

But then, there's nothing like ringing in the new to give one a big, fat jolt of reality. I was getting too comfortable in my space, in my own little world; I needed to go to the light, to expand my horizons, seek new worlds.

And that's how I found myself at the hardware store, getting light bulbs for the other desk lamp that wasn't busted. Bathed in a soft pool of light, my bedroom looks quite fabulous. I love it!

2010

2010, originally uploaded by jenniferwrites.

It is going to be an amazing year!!