Of Recycling Friends or Throwing Them Straight Away

Older daughter plans to "recycle" friends. I'm lost. How do you recycle friends? And at what point do you decide that they need recycling? I'm thinking this is another sign of the gap in our generations. "Ano'ng recycle, nak?" I ask.

"Di ba ang mga plastic, nire-recycle?"

"Ah, so plastic sila."

"Yes!"

Younger daughter is less environment-friendly. "Kung may people trashcan lang, tinapon ko na ang mga taong kinaiinisan ko."

Not a bad idea, if you ask me. :)

As They Say, "UP or Nothing"

As we congratulate the new Iskos and Iskas, I am quite certain that thousands of UP alumni are reminiscing about their days in UP. I am. I have eight years worth of memories in the State U - eight if you count the four years in the UP Integrated School. As all memories go, not all of mine are good. Some, I'd rather forget but can't thanks to hecklers I call friends. And these hecklers make many of these memories - mostly good ones - so vivid still.

In Grade 10, we were given a project, something like a quilt on paper where we drew squares and each square was for a specific question. One of the questions was "What are you willing to die for?" I didn't need time to let the question simmer. Of the four answers we were required to write, my number 1 was passing the UPCAT. I can't remember what the other three were though. Karlo asked me what good would passing the UPCAT do to a dead me. Nothing, true. But I'd die with bragging rights. It's funny now. It wasn't back then when it was "UP or nothing." It may have been the intellectual arrogance of relatives rubbing off on me or the brainwashing of my parents but getting into UP was somehow considered a done deal in our family. I also passed the Ateneo College Entrance Test and got into a very good course, BS Management (Honors). But as everyone knows, I chose UP. Well, actually, I was one of a few thousands chosen by UP. And at times like this, I ask myself if I did my University proud.

Choz!

Witchelles naman akey na nangangarir na i-upstage si Badinggerzie sa bonggang-bonggang blog niya but bet ko lang i-trysiva if keri key hey hey kahit sa isang post lang. Kalurkey lang coz wit naman akembang na jexpert magspluk ng ganitrix and baka ma-harsh evangelista lang akey sa mga baby girl na ookrayin ever ang post ko na itey. But wit kong bet ma-afreyd kahit pa ma-Lucy Torres. Fun lang, davah?

Majugal ko nang feel ma-learn itey. Spluk ko nga sa mga friendivang badet na mag-Debbie Gibson ng dictionary. Ganda lang, davah? But say ng mga veklers na nakaka-krung krung coz super bilis sa pag-change. Tarush! Try akez din ng translator sa jinternet but witchelles siyang winner. Chaka ng translation. Tapos, yung ibang words na knowing key, mahahalatang Thunder Cats na akey. And may jequivalent ba ng nosebleed sa bekimon? If so, yan ang feel ko ngayon.

So before ma-okray akey ng mga vaklush na eksenadora Miriam Defensor-Santiago akey at tuluyang ma-imbey kayez sa akin, fly na akez. But before akey mag-extro, I just want to dedicate this post to the badets, lilets, pamintas, mga teh na nagpapasaya sa life. Zsa Zsa Padilla! Baboo!

A Sad Countdown

Hello, 2011! I'm trying to sound as cheerful as I can be, especially with psychics and astrologers predicting that Pigs like me will be lucky this year. But as soon as January 1 kicked in, I started a countdown, a sad one that will mark my parents' move to the States. Already I'm sad. On the other hand, my brother, who's been living there for a decade already, will be elated! I realize my brother needs to be with our parents as much as my sisters and I. Thanks to technology, staying in touch with them will be easy, a lot easier than when my father worked abroad when we were still young. Gone are the days of mailed voice tapes and handwritten letters. What used to take weeks to convey can now be expressed in a second - well, with a good internet connection, that is. And who knows? Maybe my sisters and I and our families can fly to them instead.

Weather Watch

Ondoy brought about destruction in many areas in the Philippines. Pepeng is forecast to be just as strong, or even stronger. Today, the 4th day of my leave of absence from work and the 4th day that classes in schools are suspended, brought dark skies and strong rains in the morning. My younger daughter (she forbade me to mention her name) was on self-appointed weather watch as she shouted curses at the typhoon and at a classmate she dislikes. She was equipped for the task, as you all can see. :) (That, in case you didn't know, is a bee pinwheel. LOL)

A Belated Christmas Gift

It may not be made of gold, platinum or silver. It may not be studded with diamonds or pearls. But this bracelet is one of the most precious pieces of jewelry I have. Gabby made this for herself last New Year's Day. But she removed it and locked the clasp around my wrist tonight, saying it was a belated Christmas gift. I reminded her that she had given me a gift already but she said a card, which she also made herself, was not a gift. I said it was one of my most treasured gifts and that she didn't have to worry about giving me presents. I already have the best gifts I could ever ask for - Ate Alex and herself. She said nothing as she covered her face with her hair, hoping I wouldn't see the tears flowing freely down her cheeks.

My 2009 Resolutions

Experts say to keep the list simple and doable. And that's what I prepared, a list so simple and doable I may be able to keep my resolutions up to December.

1. Don't cheat on tithes

2. Drink more water

3. Exercise - I'd love to go back to wall climbing if I could find the time to do it and the buddy to do it with

4. Stop fooling myself that if I don't eat rice at night with that kare-kare or sinigang, that I will not gain weight. I resolve to eat what I want, as much as I want, whenever I want. - So far so good. Started this resolution in late 2008. Haha!

5. Save more money in the bank

I'm ending the list here. Simple and doable, remember?

Does God Have a Sense of Humor?

I think He does. I was having lunch with my crew yesterday at this resto where "nightbclub" music was blaring. I sang along, but only because there were only a few people there (and 2 of them, I knew from work). So belt a song like a diva I did. And on cue, huge droplets of rain were heard falling on the roof. As soon as I said, "Sorry po. Di na ko uulit," the rain stopped! Promise!

Irate as Ever (Subtitled I Hate Smartbro)

Before I decided on a broadband provider, I asked around and googled for reviews. I decided on Smartbro because a friend who lived in my area said it didn't give her problems even during a vicious storm. Also, I thought knowing people in their Corp Comm would help if I ever encountered problems.

Well, for the last few months, it seems I've been filing complaints every few weeks or so. Calling their hotline was stressful. One upside was I was using a Smart cellphone so waiting for a call center agent to take my call didn't make a dent on my pocket. But on my sanity it did. It took forever for someone to pick up. Then they'd make me do troubleshooting, which I've done several times before I even called them. Because of the numerous calls I've made, I've memorized what to plug and unplug, what to turn off and on, how much time it took between steps in the whole process, everything. It took them AT LEAST 3 days to send a technician. And some of the technicians had attitude! One even ordered my parents-in-law to tell me to make sure I'm at home when they come. And this was after the techs failed to show up on the scheduled visit. Well, this tech left everything in my laptop bag in disarray, including my Macbook which I found stashed upside down and without its sleeve. In response to my complaints, the techs have moved my antenna several times - because the tree in my neighbor's house had grown taller and was blocking my line of sight, because the roofing had warped, etc. Sheesh!!! The base station where I am connected, the location of which I am not allowed to know, is always encountering problems. So says the Corp Comm guy which I bombard with text messages and calls after my patience has grown thin with their call center. Calling their hotline now is even harder because it seems they've downsized. Instead of an agent picking up the call, a recording now welcomes you to Smartbro. And everytime I call, the recording says the signal in my area is strong.

I'm sooo stressed out!!! I thought writing about it would help me calm down. Now, I'm as, to quote call center agents, as "irate" as ever...

Smile!

I had a good laugh with friends yesterday over Jobree's long-forgotten and much-kept-secret-stint as Birdie the mascot. It was not the actual experience of donning the heavy and hot costume that was funny, but Jobree's revelation that when kids asked to have their pictures taken with her, she actually smiled underneath the costume.

I'm Remembering...

1. Sweet Haven - baked macaroni and tacos. Yum!
2. Haruta loafers (mine were maroon tassels) and Espadrilles (mine were green, believe it or not)
3. My Kamia dormrooms - the one in the basement next to the "ghost room" and the one on the first floor near the entrance
4. The 1991 Earthquake - I was cooking instant soup in the dorm when it hit. Some of the girls in the dorm ran out to the driveway "wearing" pillows and towels.
5. Live AIDS rehearsals - fun, fun, fun!
6. Singing bastardized versions of Carpenters songs with equally-crazy friends while making tambay at the gazebos outside Casaa
7. My friends and I leaving one-peso coins on top of piles of freshly-delivered copies of Collegian to dupe freshmen (we were also freshmen then but we felt we weren't outsiders, having come from UPIS) and my friends giving freshmen directions from Palma Hall to the NatSci building whenever they'd be asked where the "TBA room" was
8. The UP Fairs
9. An aborted OBE
10. UP ghost stories

Funny how a hodgepodge of memories can resurrect buried emotions...

Yes, I Am Rich!!!

Gab gave me a surprise tonight, neatly tucked in a plastic Easter Egg.

Oh, yes I am!

I have more money than the Republic of the Philippines!

A house with things inside and a gigantic swimming pool?! Cool!!!

This is worth even more than the 10 gazillion (pesos?)...

My most precious treasures. The reasons why I answered YES to Gabby's difficult question.

Paranoid About Head Injuries

I hit my head HARD on an abnormally low cement doorway Saturday night. After massaging the affected part of my skull, I did a neuro test that doctors performed once on me when I was complaining of dizziness. My diagnosis was that I had nothing to worry about. I could touch my nose with the tip of my finger.

I think I'm the most paranoid person on earth when it comes to injuries to the brain. Alex had undergone a brain operation when she was only 6 months old because of a blood clot. No mother can ever forget that harrowing experience.

So when the pain had not totally gone away 24 hours after the accident, I began to worry. The pain was on and off, but thankfully, tolerable. So after airing GMA Weekend Report, I went to the hospital around 1:30am of Monday. The doctors found it amusing when I shared my "layman's diagnosis" with them. I even performed the fingertip-to-the-nose test again in front of them without being told.

Well, after undergoing several tests - shrugging my shoulders, pushing and pulling with my arms and legs, rolling my eyeballs to follow the doctors' fingers - this time, officially performed by doctors, my initial layman's diagnosis was confirmed. I had nothing to worry about. They said they could order a CT scan, if only to appease my paranoia. After thinking about it for about a minute, I decided it was best to just go home.

Well, it's Monday afternoon and the headaches are back. I just hope the pain killer the doctors prescribed would take effect immediately. I'm still under observation until 7 tonight.

Life Crammed in a To-Do List

I found this list tacked to a wall in the living room. It's Gabby's To-Do List for Monday to Friday. I wish life were as simple as 1. palit damit; 2. eat; 3. computer; 4. assignment; and 5. PS2 - Sims2.

I saw the list as I continued to ponder what Gabby had asked me earlier, "Mommy, happy ba ang life mo?" If only for her and Alex, I answered, "Yes!" without wasting a millisecond.

Now, maybe I should write my own To-Do List...

Quotable Quote

"i know a place where God talks to people more than once a day and it's in a mental assylum. when you talk to God, that's prayer. when God talks to you, that's delusion."

I wont identify the person anymore or who he or she was referring to.

Sheez Meez

Gab: Mommy, gusto mo gawan kita ng account sa meez?

Me: Ano yung meez?

Gab: Hindi mo alam ang meez?!?

Me: Hindi.

Gab: Ano ba yun?!?

Cute pa siya kasi 7 years old pa lang siya. Pag teenager na ang anak ko, ewan ko kung anong magiging takbo ng conversation.

P.S. Alam ko na kung ano ang meez. Pinakita rin ni Gab sa akin. :)

The Continuation

I was finally able to persuade Gabby to explain her unfinished lesson. Turns out, the teacher cut the lesson short and continued it the next day. But it was only Gabby who thought of writing "to be continued" in her notebook. How she came up with the idea, she refuses to explain.

Still, I ask her to practice writing everyday. And still, she finds excuses not to. Haaay... Pisces e.

To Be Continued

I was born left-handed. Until first grade, I was confused which hand was my left and which was my right. Whenever my teacher would say raise your right hand, I always hesitated. "It's the one you write with." "Oh," I'd say and confidently raise my left hand. Everyone else in class raised the other hand.

When I was "transitioning" to being right-handed, I'd also have teacher's marginal note in almost every page of my notebooks. "Please improve handwriting."

So when Gabby's preference to write with her left hand became apparent, I encouraged her. Everyone else around me who had an opinion on the subject told me to teach her to write with her right. I said no. Let her be.

Well, Gabby always has a hard time finishing what she has to copy on the blackboard. But she's too lazy to practice at home. So I devised various games, tried to use my charms (duh!) on her, played the role of a stern mother - all to encourage (or maybe force her) to do writing exercises at home. But Gab comes up with excuses everytime.

Just tonight, Grandma told me that Gab again failed to finish copying their lessons on the board. To avoid another sermon from Grandma, Gab wrote at the bottom of the page: TO BE CONTINUED.

Origami? No, Duck!

Gabby: Mommy, look!
Me: Wow! Origami!
Gab: No, duck!

Ah, siyempre natameme na naman ako. Had to explain to her what origami is. Na-gets naman niya.

Estudyante Blues

di naman ako umabot sa level na ito. kung may terror na teachers, anong tawag sa mga ganitong estudyante?

baka naman kasi kilala nung estudyante yung engineer, di ba, mam?

zero? eh kung may elepante ngang nakaharang?

di binigyan ni mam ng grade kasi di niya matanggap na estudyante niya, nakaisip na gamitin ang calculus sa pagtukoy sa pagkakakilanlan ni batman tapos siya hindi. bitter!

mabigat ang dinadala ng konsensiya ni mam. nagpatiwakal ang estudyante...

oo nga naman... phenotype phenotype pa kasi e.

eh si mam. second childhood.

in-expand naman a. kulang na nga yung papel e.

o ha!

simpleng-simpleng equation lang ito, mam.

perfect!!! favorite student ko ito...