Down South

"Sinong presidente niyo dito?" ("Who is your president here?") A asked as he walked through our front door. A and his wife B had come all the way north from Marikina. Driving through EDSA, South Superhighway, and finally to Alabang-Zapote Road must have seemed like an eternity for him.

It's Saturday night and my friends had come to visit my family in our new home. I cooked a lovely Menudo, which only got better the next morning, and some Sisig, which didn't last all that long. P brought a tray of Baked Salmon, half a dozen Lava Cakes, and her boyfriend C. C brought her husband J, and a gift of soup bowls, so sweet! As for my girlfriend B, she brought the best present of all, Lucky!

Lucky and Sophie met more than a year ago. We went on a road trip to Tagaytay and had brought the two babies along. Back then, the two were not even talking. They were tiny teeny babies. Lucky had even gotten sick by the end of the day. Today, they're walking, talking harbingers of disaster. Oh but how they ran and talked and played. It was a fun night!

Tripping

I'm in another one of my crazy writing-editing trips so, am just zoning out.



For Sam





Bubs, this one's for you!





The song that had me laughing like crazy last night. Maraming salamat, Eks!





This one's for me.





And this!

OK Solo

The other week, I had dinner at my friend Janice’s house. I’ve known Janice and her husband Gary for years. And I’ve always looked up at them as an ideal couple. They not only love each other to bits, they also work very well together.

Janice and I were at the living area talking when Gary said an inviting “Kain na.” When nobody seemed to pay him any attention, he barked a more commanding “Kain na!” And, as if on reflex, I stood up straight and realized that there was a man in the house. It was kind of disconcerting.

I’ve been a single parent for years and years now. There is no man in my house...

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Number One Fan!

In my past life, I would go on radio tours on a regular basis. It wasn't a big deal really; it was part of my job. But when my daughter got invited to Jam 88.3's Radio Marketplace program, I was oh-so proud.

She got the invite a couple of weeks ago, and of course, I forgot about it soon after. D-day came and we got all excited. On the way, E said that she was nervous, I assured her that she'll do just fine. And sure enough, she did! Can you blame me if I'm her number one fan? :)





E on board





With DJ Lana, super thanks! :)





And here she is!

When I Grow Up

Like most kids of my generation, I wanted to be a doctor when I grew up [That was before I wanted to be an astronaut-until I realized that we didn't have any space program, so goodbye to that dream!]. When I hit my teens and all that career talk started, the thought of spending another six or so years of studying after high school didn't sound too exciting. And so, I got myself another dream.

Fast forward to last week: Our high school classmate E, who's a doctor somewhere in the United States, had come to town. Of course, it wasn't long until my best girlfriend Dr. A texted everyone for a potluck dinner at her home.

So there was E, who didn't look as big as I remembered him. When we were growing up, E was always with D, and they made quite an intimidating pair. They were both tall and big and so obviously smart. Plus, their last names rhymed; we ended up calling them Esqui and Desqui. One would always be with another.

D also happens to be a doctor, by the way. I think he's a cardiovascular surgeon. He is married to S, who is an Ob-Gyne, who is also good friends with Dr. A, who is an anesthesiologist. Dr. A is married to M, who is an ENT specialist. M, another one of our high school classmates, is also a doctor. I think she's some kind of therapist for the bones.

Yes, they were all at the dinner table. And I thought, if ever something happened to me that very instant, I'd be in good hands. There was someone who would care for my heart, my bones, my ears, nose, and throat, and my reproductive organs. More importantly, someone was there to make sure that I was sleeping soundly while they do their thing. Oh yes, I just remembered, I think we also have a classmate who operated on the brains. But he wasn't there that night. Oh well, maybe next time :)




Esqui, the guest of honor





Desqui and his wife S





Esqui and R, who thankfully is not a doctor. He's into marketing.





Dr. A and her husband M





J and T





Dr. M, the bone doctor, and me, who wanted to be a doctor once-upon-a-time

The Story That Got Us Lost

Still, I enjoyed writing this one...


It’s January in New York. There’s snow on the ground and it’s inhumanly cold. Eighteen-year-old model Danica Magpantay is rushing to a casting call by world-renowned brand MAC Cosmetics. When her agency, which just happens to be Ford Models, Inc., tells her to scoot to a casting call in 10 minutes, she runs!

But Danica did not feel the least cold. In fact, she felt hot all over. It must have been the adrenaline. Indeed, one can say that Danica has been on some kind of adrenaline rush for the past few months now. . . and there seems to be no end to that feeling of excitement and anticipation and happiness for this young girl who is the 2010 Ford Supermodel of the World.

Pero, sino siya?!

Read the whole story in YES! Magazine's April 2011 issue :)

Let's Go!

Moonwatching With My Boys

Yesterday, I resolved not to work. I am not the best of persons to be around when I'm working. I don't see anything save for the screen in front of me. I don't hear anything save for the loud music that's blaring from my playlist. Sometimes, I could get so lost in words that I forget all sense of time. "Oh, is it 3 a.m. already?"

So yesterday, I resolved not to do anything except to look up towards the sky. At the supermarket, K and I got some liempo, potatoes, and sweet corn. We were going to have us a barbeque dinner while enjoying the spectacle that was the moon. F got the grill going while I put the potatoes on the pot. Baby S, seeing the little commotion, started getting all excited. I parked our chairs under the moonlight, and watched as the moon played peek-a-boo with the clouds.

When the meat was done and the potatoes all mashed up, my boys and I ate under the sky (Baby S had said good night by this time). They're all teenagers now and every time I hang out with them, I am amazed at how funny and eloquent they could be. I love it that I could be a girl with my daughter E but still be one of the guys with my boys. We talk about Mike Rowe and Bear Grylls. We talk about how expensive games are and how girls can be so maarte (except Mom, of course). We talk about the moon and space, eventually landing on one of our all-time favorites: Star Wars ("Ma, if Aragorn and Luke Skywalker go on a fight, who would win?" "Hello! Luke, of course!"}.

I love not working, even if just for a day.

Crashing

Must finish this story, must not crash... hello Berocca!

Rewind, Restart

At 43, I never thought that I’ll be singing ABCs, reciting 123s, and wondering what all those twinkling stars are doing tonight. But here I am doing nursery whatnots 13 years after my youngest son was born.

I was already on teen mode.

I am way past the sleep-deprived mommy phase of the baby years when you can’t get four straight hours of sleep because your little one is hungry—again. Today, my kids would eat just about anything. And fortunately for me, they know their way around the kitchen. No need for mommy to get up early in the morning to make breakfast.

I am past all the angst and agony of separation anxiety when your preschooler grabs your knee every time you step out the door. Today, my kids are all too happy when I have to go out of town. If I’m gone for just two days in fact, they’d even ask, “Back so soon?” Those rascals!


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Red Riding on Twilight

I tried hard not to fall asleep but at one point, I actually did. Maybe it was because I came all the way from Quezon City. Or maybe because I've been busy working the past two weeks. Or maybe because the movie sucked big time! Mwahahaha




From the posters, it looked like one of those horror movies where the big bad wolf ate everyone in sight. E loves horror movies. She likes getting scared, it seems. I'm not such a horror fan. I don't like those ghastly images inside my head because I tend to OC on them, playing those scenes over and over in my head. Too bad E didn't see this trailer before deciding that the red hoodie would be our date movie because it echoes of...





And guess what, the opening sequence of the hoodie has this mountainous scenery that reminded me of Twilight immediately. And I thought that Gary Oldman would at least bring some oomph into the movie. Oh well...





If the producers wanted to reinvent a fairy tale, they should have taken cues from this movie: Cinderella as a strong-willed woman who doesn't need to be saved. In fact, it is she who saves the prince. Love it!

Dating E

I had my daughter E when I was 22. I was young and really didn't know what I was doing. It wasn't planned. It was, to be very frank about it, lust! Mwahahahaha Fortunately, like most things unplanned in my life, she turned out to be one of the best.

Today, my daughter is 20 years old with a life of her own. Every so often, we'd hang out, jam, eat, and watch movies. When we were younger, we sort of had this love-hate relationship, like most mothers and daughters do. But now I'm happy that our relationship has reached an even keel.

The other day, I caught her crying. And I tell you that nothing breaks a mother's heart more than seeing her child so sad, and so I resolved to cheer her up. I stayed close to her. I told her all sorts of stories. I took her out on a date, and tried hard not to fall asleep at the theater; she picked the movie. When we got home, we smiled and said our I love you's. It was the best date ever :)




My daughter E, so pretty :)





I was so hungry!!! I didn't have a proper lunch so I just chowed down when our order of Yang Chow, Mushrooms with Broccoli, and Prawn Dumplings arrived.





E inherited my love for hot chocolate. Starbacks Signature please!





Yum!

Oops! I Did It Again!

One of the things that my kids don't very much like about me is my insatiable need to express myself (Obvious ba, I have this blog? Mwahahaha)--more so when we're out in public.

At the movies, I may on occasion blurt out a loud guffaw of a laugh or a shrill scream depending on what we're watching. During school programs, I clap the loudest when my kids are on stage and may at times let out a hoot or two. I can't help myself, I'm proud of my children, each and every one of them. It doesn't matter whether he's the star of the show or a bit player, I will always clap the loudest.

And so it was with some trepidation that my son approached me about participating in his school musical. "It's The Little Mermaid," he said. "And what part do you play, anak?" "I am a bird." "Anak, isn't The Little Mermaid set under the sea?" "Basta, I'm a bird."

Last Friday, we went to the Insular Life Auditorium to watch K. It took some time before they finally got to his part but when the birds came out, I was supremely excited. At first, I didn't see K. They were all dressed alike. And then there he was... singing, dancing, doing his steps in time to the music. I was just so happy! Before I could stop myself, I blurted out a loud "We love you, K!"

At home, K said, "Ma, everyone heard you. All of my classmates heard you." "And?" "They repeated what you said." "See, everybody loves you!" ;)




K first came out as a fish.





But I love him most as a bird. So cute!!

Swamped

Swamped with writing stuff and so, my player is up all the way, playing angry girl music. Pasensiya nalang sa mga kapitbahay!

Broken

Baby S broke my favorite vase. Technically, it’s not a vase. It’s more like a jar actually. And it’s not shapely in the conventional sense. It’s short and stout, its surface purposely distressed, dotted with little studs of concentric circles. I saw it at a home store in Tagaytay years ago, and at first sight, I just found it beautiful. It wasn’t perfect. It was just beautiful.

I was busy finishing a story when the vase went down, cracked in two by Baby S’s little fingers. I didn’t have the heart nor the will to get mad. She was just a baby after all. She didn’t know what she was doing. Still, I felt sad about the whole thing. I told D about it, expressing my sadness. He said that he had himself broken his grandmother’s favorite vase years and years ago, and got whipped and scolded for it. Until now, he couldn’t figure out why he had to go through all that emotional stress over a piece of glass.

That put things in perspective for me. Still, I’m sad.

Tomorrow, I’m buying a tube of Mighty Bond. Who knows? I might be able to make that broken thing whole again, its scar making it even more beautiful.

Hangover

standing
listening
nodding
tapping
swaying
texting
reading
smiling
dreaming
clapping
singing
sweating
shouting
screaming
dancing
smiling
sighing
sigh...